THE HISTORY OF NONCONFORMITY IN PLYMOUTH. 
65 
that he lived in that immediate locality. A chapel was erected 
on the site of the present Unitarian Chapel about 1689 by the 
adherents of Nathaniel Jacob ; for when in 1690 Nathaniel 
Harding succeeded Jacob the congregation was large, and must 
have had a special place of assembly, and a trust deed of 1708 
states that the chapel had been used several years previously for 
divine worship. Harding came to Plymouth from Ireland — more 
by accident than design — just after Jacob's death, was chosen in 
his stead, and remained pastor until 1743. 
Sherwili's congregation about the same time, or a little earlier, 
met at the " Old Marshalls." They occupied it certainly for ten 
years,* and probably until the erection, in 1705, of the chapel in 
Batter Street. The " Old Marshalls" still exists — in the oldest 
portion of the distillery premises in Southside Street. Tradition 
connects this ancient building with the Dominicans. It may have 
been part of the fifteenth century guildhall ; but whatever its 
origin, it was used in the seventeenth century as the Marshalsea 
or town prison. Probably the extensive additions to the Jacobean 
Guildhall in 1667 rendered a separate prison unnecessary. 
Fox says of the dissenting ministers of his day, that " they were 
generally enthusiasts, and retained greatly that canting way of 
speaking and that old method of composition which was peculiar to 
the old preachers.' ' He was still less complimentary to the con- 
gregations; for he speaks of the " seats and the beasts that sat in 
them," and of u the people of the country meetings as of mean 
rank and meaner understandings." Still under Harding (who was 
universally respected, and whom Eox terms a man of singular 
piety) and Enty the two societies flourished; and in 1715 mustered 
1260 hearers. Both were on friendly terms, and the interchange 
of pulpits common. Doctrinally both congregations were Calvinistic, 
and known as Presbyterian. And though there was no actual 
presbytery or synod in the county, there was an analogous organi- 
zation in the Exeter Assembly. On the 18th October, 1655, an 
association of Presbyterian ministers of the county was formed at 
Exeter to deal with matters of doctrine and discipline. This asso- 
ciation held two meetings a year; and the county was divided 
into seven divisions, the ministers in which used to meet monthly. 
George Hughes was the first moderator ; and the articles of asso- 
* There are entries of baptisms at the "Old Marshalls" from July 27th, 
1687, to August 20th, 1697. 
VOL. VI. E 
