Job Tookey 1616-1670

In his book on Independency in St Albans  F A J Harding speaks about Tookey. He says that

During the Commonwealth, a number of clergymen ministered in St Albans; some of whom were afterwards ejected from their livings under the act of uniformity, 1662.

He mentions George Newton, MA, 1664 (ejected from Taunton) John Geree, MA, 1646-1648 Job Tookey, MA, 1649 (ejected from Yarmouth) John Oliver, 1653 Richard Roberts, MA, 1655 (ejected from Cullesden, Surrey) Nathaniel Partridge, 1657 (ejected) St Peter’s Church Robert Tirling, 1644-1645 William Rechford, 1647-1659 William Haworth, 1660 (ejected) Richard Lever, M.A.,1646-1649 Simon Smyth, 1650 Edward Withnell (ejected) George Newton, M.A., 1644 John Lesley, 1645-1656 Nathaniel Partridge, 1657-1660

He then focuses on the founder of Congregationalism in St Albans, Job Tookey, who, according to Calamy was preacher at St Albans in 1648, and “gathered a Congregational church there.” Urwick (Nonconformity in Herts) adds, “The first Congregational church in St Albans was gathered in St Albans Abbey.” Notice that both commentators use the word “gathered”. This is a basic congregational principle, which denotes that those forming that particular assembly of worshippers are “gathered” round Christ, Who is at the centre of the Church.

The church meeting in St Albans Abbey under the ministry of Rev Job Tookey was truly “congregational” for the reasons that, being a “gathered” church, the congregation, as directed by the Holy Spirit, was a sovereign body and independent of outside control, humanly speaking; and Job Tookey himself, was appointed minister by the citizens of the town. This independency of action claimed by Congregationalists, earned for their assemblies the title of Independent Churches.

Spicer Street Chapel, the present-day direct descendent of the Abbey Congregational assembly, is still known as the Independent Meeting House. By way of further explanation, the late Dr A M Fairbairn might be quoted: “While Congregational denotes the normative principle and constitution of the society, Independent simply describes the relation in which all societies so constituted must stand to every authority external or foreign. The term in its oldest historical use expresses the right of the churches to be independent, as regards interference from without, in order that they might be free to live under the sole authority of Christ. And so Independency here means freedom; ‘free’ is the modern synonym of ‘independent.’

The appointment of Job Tookey as minister at the Abbey was made easier by the fact that the citizens of St Albans were, in truth, the owners of the Abbey Church and were, therefore, in a position to appoint whoever they liked to the living. They were no doubt influenced in their choice by reason of Tookey’s personal piety and general trustworthiness as well as their desire to get rid of the risk of having one of Laud’s nominees. Tookey’s two Commonwealth predecessors at the Abbey, Newton and Geree, while chosen by the citizens, do not appear to have held the principle of the “gathered church” as did Tookey, and it is for that reason we fix on him as the originator of the Congregational manner of worship and church government.

It may be well at this juncture to explain how the Abbey came into the possession of the citizens. After the expropriation of church lands and buildings by order of Henry VIII, all such property became vested in the crown; in 1553, however, the townspeople of St Albans were able to buy the building for £400 to convert it into a parish church and grammar school, the latter being conducted in the Lady Chapel. This purchase was made possible by a charter granted by Edward VI on 12th May 1553. The charter provided, to quote Clutterbuck, that “in consideration of the sum of £400 and a yearly fee farm rent of £10 paid to him by the inhabitants of the borough, granted the same, together with the advowson and right of patronage thereto belonging, to the Mayor and Burgesses of St Albans for ever, to serve as the parish church of the borough...” This bargain was confirmed by a clause in the charter of incorporation granted to the Borough by this monarch. The fee farm rent was afterwards redeemed by the inhabitants of the Borough on 30th July 1684, for £200... 

Records of Job Tookey's ministry are few, but of great interest. In 1650, the year following the execution of Charles I, commissioners appointed by Parliament to enquire into the state of the Ecclesiastical Benefices, found by their inquest that “this Rectory was... sequestered from one John Browne; and that Mr Job Tookey, an able and godly minister, officiated the Cure”.  A few items in the Parish Registers established Job Tookey’s stay in St Albans: - “May 26 1650 (born March 10), Job, son of Mr Job Tookey, Minister” “November 16 1651 Hannah, daughter of Mr Job Tookey” Other daughters were Martha, Rebecca and Sarah. His son Job, according to Calamy, went to the north of England and turned out to be a scapegrace. A grandson, Thomas Tookey, was minister of the Yarmouth Congregational Church 1711-1724.

After about five years Tookey removed to Yarmouth, where he became the teacher of a Congregational Church with Bridge as pastor until ejected under the Act of Uniformity 1662. In 1665, he came to London and died there in 1670. (He was a graduate of Immanuel, Cambridge, a Puritan college.)