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A HISTORY OF LONDON awakening conscience of their agent." Presumably on the same authority rests the tradition, usually deemed authentic, that the new dynasty was first proclaimed from the Fetter Lane pulpit. The story is that Bradbury, while preaching, received from his friend Bishop Burnet information, by a pre- arranged signal, of the death of Queen Anne ; at the end of the sermon he prayed for King George, and gave out some appropriate verses of the 89th Psalm. Next to Bradbury the most eminent Independent minister at this time was Dr. Isaac Watts. Notable alike as theologian, philosopher, and poet, he is best remembered as the most influential (though neither the first nor the greatest) of English hymn-writers. Before his day the Non- conformist service of song had been practically limited to metrical psalms ; the ' Old,' Scottish, New England, Patrick's and Barton's versions being chiefly used. A few hymns by Reeves, one of the ejected ministers, by Keach the zealous Baptist confessor, and by Davis of Rothwell were in circulation, but scarcely in use ; and many Baptist congregations excluded singing altogether. Watts's hymns were first published in 1707, and his Psalms in 17 19." Before his death in 1748 they were used in most Dissent- ing congregations throughout England. It is worth noting that Dr. Watts's meeting-house was of moderate size, seating 434 ; and that neither his stipend nor that of his colleague. Rev. S. Price, ever exceeded >ri20." Of the remaining Independents of this period the best remembered are J. Asty of Ropemakers' Alley, R. Bragge of Lime Street, Matt. Clark of Miles Lane, Jer. Hunt, D.D., of Pinners' Hall ; D. Jennings, D.D., of Girdlers' Hall (afterwards of Wapping) ; Zephaniah Marryatt of Southwark ; Daniel Neal of Jewin Street, the historian of the Puritans ; Thomas Reynolds of the King's Weigh-house; Thomas Ridgeley, D.D., Three Cranes, Thames Street ; and John Humphreys, M.A., of Petticoat Lane, who died in 17 19, aged ninety-eight, the last survivor of the ejected ministers. With these may be named Joseph Jacobs, whose Reformed Church at Turners' Hall was an ecclesiastical curiosity. The most distinguished Presbyterians were Edmund Calamy, D.D., of Westminster, compiler of the Lives of the 'Ejected Ministers^ Daniel Williams, D.D., of Hand Alley, founder of the library that bears his name, and of scholarships which have greatly encouraged learning among Nonconformists ; his colleague, J. Evans, a collector of invaluable statistics of the old Nonconformity ; R. Fleming of Founders' Hall, author of a once famous Christology ; B. Grosvenor, D.D., of Crosby Square ; W. Harris, D.D., and his colleague John Billingsley, Jewry Street ; William Tong and John Newman, Salters' Hall ; Joshua Oldfield, D.D., Southwark ; Samuel Pomfret and William Hocken, Gravel Lane, Houndsditch ; J. Shower, Old Jewry ; and D. Wilcox, Monkwell Street. Baptist congregations were numerous, and tending to multiply, but few of their ministers can lay claim to eminence. The most noteworthy are John Gale, Ph.D., of Paul's Alley, whose Refections on WalPs History of Irfant Baptism are still prized by Baptists ; Benjamin Stinton of Horsleydown, son-in-law and successor of Keach, whose manu- script collections are of great value to students of Baptist history ; Richard Adams of Devonshire Square ; Joseph Maisters of Joiners' Hall ; and Edward Wallin ot Mazepond. In 171 7 nine Baptist congregations in various parts " W. Wilson, op. cit. iii, 5 i 2-14. " Milner, Life of Watts. " Trans. Cong. Hist. Soc. iii, 2, 117. 386