MINUTE BOOK OF THE WIRKSWORTH CLASSIS. 151 



Mr. Robr' Port' being Moderat* began with prayer. 



This clay Mr. Samuel Hieron (according to form' Ord r *) came and 

 exhibited his Thesis upon this question. An sola fides justified? wch being 



He was looked upon as the greatest oracle of blessing in those parts, and 

 highly valued by his brethren, who used to converse with him upon difficult 

 cases, and paid a great deference to his judgement." He refused to conform 

 in 1662, and consequently had to resign his benefice. From that time, till his 

 death on Jan. 22nd, 1689-90, he resided at Mansfield. His farewell sermon 

 at Pentrich is number 16 in a book called EnglaiuCs Remembrancer, 

 A posthumous work of his was published in 1691, called The Life of Mr. 

 John Hieron, with the Character and Memorials of Ten other worthy 

 Ministers of Jesus Christ. 



The brief particulars given of Robert Porter and other subsequent mi- 

 nisters are taken from Calamy's Ejected Ministers, and Cox's Churches of 

 Derbyshire, unless otherwise specified. 



t Thomas Shelmerdine was instituted to the Vicarage of Crich in 1629. 

 He was of a Lancashire family and educated at Christ College, Cambridge. 

 On the establishment of Presbyterianism, he seems to have taken very kindly 

 to the change, and retained his benefice, which he exchanged in 1652 for the 

 better preferment of Matlock. Thence he was ejected in 1662, when he 

 retired to Wirksworth, and shortly afterwards died. Calamy does not say 

 much about him, but tells us that "he was a kind husband to an holy but very 

 melancholy wife." Of the ordination of his son Daniel, by the Wirksworth 

 Classis, we shall subsequently find an entry under the year 165 7. 



X Martin Topham was minister of Wirksworth. We believe that he was 

 episcopally instituted before the time of the Commonwealth, and was the son 

 of the previous vicar, Robert Topham, who was instituted in 1633. He died 

 in 1660. 



§ John Oldfield (as his name is more usually spelt) held, we believe, the 

 rectory of Carsington prior to the Commonwealth, and then conformed to 

 Presbyterianism. Calamy praises him warmly for personal piety and quiet 

 disposition. - " The people among whom he laboured Was very ticklish and 

 capricious, very hard to be pleased in ministers, and yet they centered in him, 

 and his name is precious amongst them." He published several sermons and 

 lectures. Readers of Mrs. Gaskell's inimitable novel, North and South, will 

 recollect the quotation from his eloquent address on his ejection from 

 Carsington in 1662. After his ejection, Oldfield chiefly resided at Alfreton, 

 where he died June 5th, 1682. There is a brass plate to his memory in 

 Alfreton Church. 



|| Thomas Myles (or Miles) was appointed minister of Bradbourn in 1650. 

 About 1660, he removed to S. Chad's, Lichfield, when he was ejected in 1662, 

 and suffered much for nonconformity. 



** The ancient family of Buxton took their name from the town of that 

 name. We find them holding property at Buxton, Chelmorton, and 

 Youlgreave in the 13th century. Henry Buxton, second son of John Buxton, 

 of Buxton, settled at Bradbourn temp. Elizabeth. Henry Buxton here men- 

 tioned was one of the elders of the Bradbourn Presbyter)-. He was 

 great-grandson of the above named Henry Buxton, and held the family 

 property at Bradbourn He was born in 1610, and married Anne, daughter 

 of Richard Wigley, of Wigwell Grange, Wirksworth. Other members of this 

 family, subsequently mentioned as ruling elders of the Wirksworth Classis, 

 are : — German Buxton, of Kirk Ireton, third son of George Buxton, of Brad- 

 bourne, and uncle of the last named Henry Buxton ; he died in 1665. 



* "According to former order" this proves that the Minute Book now 

 extant is a continuation of a previous one of the same ri.->c»; R . 



