Chap. 2.1 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 79 



not too pious to laugh, can say smart things occasionally, and relishes a sally of good 

 wit. He is a Manchester gentleman, served his time as a commercial clerk, then went 

 to the Lancashire Independent College, and came quite warm from that institution to 

 Longi'idge in 1866. He was the first regular minister at the chapel, and has laboured 

 most vigorously ever since his connection with it. Mr. Booth has considerable adapta- 

 bility of character, and would be sharp at nearly anything. He understands cotton, 

 bookkeeping, architectural designing, par.soning, and divers other things. He designed 

 the schoolroom, a capacious and excellently arranged building at the rear of the chapel ; 

 he designed the new house, nearly opposite the chapel, in which he lives ; he perhaps 

 designed several other places for anything we can tell, and, as we told him the other 

 day, may be called a very "designing" man. For his ministerial services he receives 

 about £1 20 a year, and out of this he can save money. 



Mr. Booth was not only an energetic mini.ster of religion, but took 

 also an active part in the promotion of the material welfare of Long- 

 ridge. To him, mainlj', Longridge owes the possession of gas. A 

 meeting was held in Nov., 1866, at which Mr. Booth took a prominent 

 part. He took an active part in politics, and worked hard for the 

 Liberal cause during the election of 1868. He was rery popular among 

 the people, who were extremely sorry to lose him. Mr. Booth resigned 

 the pastorate of the church in January, 1871, and was followed by the 

 Eev. G. Price, who only stayed three years. 



The present respected I'astor of the Independent Chapel, the Rev. 

 H. Archibald, followed Mr. Price in 1875, and has, accordingly, been 

 13 years in the office. He was born at Coleraine, in the North of Ireland, 

 but went, when young, to Glasgow, where he lived some years, being 

 engaged at a commercial house in the citj'. Then, for some years, he 

 was in charge of the Manchester City Mission, where he did a good 

 work. From Manchester he went, in 1868, to Milnrow, near Eochdale, 

 as Independent Minister, at which place he stayed until he received a 

 hearty call to Longridge. He speaks with a Scotch accent, and is 

 often taken for a Scotchman. He is a pleasant, elderly man, full of the 

 milk of human kindness, and without any guile in him at all. He can 

 be plain and outspoken when occasion demands, but is a man of peace 

 and quietness. He is perhaps best known as a model visitor of the sick 

 and poor — work for which he seems admirably adapted. As a 

 preacher he is soundly evangelical, indulges occasionally in diatribes 

 against the Roman Catholic faith, and wages war against the sins and 



