England Nonconformists Methodist Records - International Institute

Methodist Archives and Records[edit | edit source]

Most members were hatched, matched and despatched in the parish church until the 1780s when they were officially classed as Dissenters. Since they developed from within the Anglican church Methodist records are the most like parish registers and have mostly been deposited in the national (PRO) or local archives. The circuit system is still practiced with the Superintendent Ministers of each circuit being listed in the Minutes and Yearbook of the Methodist Conference; they are likely to know the whereabouts of more recent records of local congregations. Most of the early registers are at the PRO and later ones are in the appropriate County Record Office or Methodist circuit archive.

The Methodist Connexional Archives are now at the John Rylands Library and this collection contains:

150,000 books and manuscripts which include minutes and journals of all Methodist Conferences.

Records of existing Methodist circuits and congregations.

They have a highly informative website with a page on Use of the Centre by Family Historians, a Biographical Index, an Index of Methodist Ministers and Probationers and much more. The Wesley Historical Society holds manuscripts of some individual congregations, and printed material for all Methodist churches.

Methodist Registers[edit | edit source]

Prior to the 1790s Methodists typically utilized the Anglican Church, but from this time started to get their own baptism and burial registers. On the title page of the registers for the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Wilderness Row, Clerkenwell (RG4/4400 on FS Library film 0825319) it states that the congregation was founded about 1770 but that The children were previous to the year 1795 baptized in the Church of England. The majority of Methodist baptism and burial registers were deposited with the GRO and a list of them, (now at the PRO), with RG4 class numbers, is provided by Leary. They have been microfilmed and most are on the IGI. The Wesleyan Metropolitan Registry operated from 1818 to 1837.

Methodist Baptisms[edit | edit source]

Methodist children were frequently baptized in the parish church with Methodist registers only starting in the 1790s, but more usually in the period 1810-1820. Examples showing the wide variety of registers used for recording baptisms are shown below .

Chart: Methodist Baptisms

Mount Ephraim Chapel, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Handwritten register
William son of Matthew and Mary EAST his wife, was born in the parish of Tunbridge the 3rd of April 1798 and baptized the 27th of May 1798. Egerton Leigh.
Jonathan son of William and Elizabeth Lambert was born in the parish of Wadhurst born July 20 1798 and baptised August 12 1798. W. Vidler.

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|- | Wesleyan Methodist, Ampthill, Bedfordshire
RG4/30 FS Library film 0583982
A standard Anglican register book with fuller information given.
1818 15 Nov Thomas son of William and Lydia HUCKLE,
his wife (late FULLER), of Hawnes, Beds,
labourer. Born 10 Oct 1818. Willm Theobald
minister.
1818 29 Nov Matilda daughter of Thomas and Sarah BARKER
his wife (late EMMERTON), of
Ampthill, Beds, Officer of Excise. Born 2 Sep
1818. Willm Theobald minister.
|}

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|- | Methodist New Connexion, Longton, Staffordshire
Printed with columns giving Child’s name, When born, When baptized, Number of Child [in family], Parents’ Names, By whom baptized.
Mary STONES born 9 May 1830, baptized 24 Jun 1830, 5^th child of Joseph STONES cordwainer Parish of Stone and County of Stafford by Mary daughter of Edward BAKER Parish of Stoke upon Trent and County above. Wm Bailey
Emmariah HUDSON born 23 Sep 1830, baptized 27 Sep 1830, 4 child of Joseph HUDSON Parish of Rowester earthenware dealer in the County of Stafford by Jane daughter of Joseph LOCKER miller Parish of Stone and County above.
|}

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|- | Wesleyan Methodist, Islington RG4/4271 on FS Library film 0825319
Printed register with spaces for details. Susannah the daughter of James HUXTABLE of Cottage Lane in the Parish of St. Lukes in the County of Middlesex and of Charlotte his wife, who was the daughter of Thomas and Susannah BROWN was born on the 19^th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty And was solemnly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, on the sixth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one by me.
Elijah Roole [?]

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|- | Methodist Chapel, Woolwich, Kent Printed register with spaces for details.
William son of William and Rebecca EAST of the Parish of Woolwich was born 31st March 1835 and Christened 19th April 1835 by me N. Vevers. Registered T. Hendley 19th April 1835
Robert son of Thomas and Margaret SHELDON of the Parish of Charlton was born 11th June 1835 and Christened 16th August 1835 by me Josiah Hill. Registered 16th August 1835 T. Hendley.
|}

There are two kinds of post-1837 Methodist baptismal registers, the local chapel one and the Circuit Register covering a wider area. Occasionally small places may still be using the ones begun in 1837, and completed registers may be with the county archives or still at the chapel; a few are at the PRO, and some have been transcribed.

Methodist Marriages[edit | edit source]

Methodists typically married in the Anglican Church, some families continuing this tradition even after Methodist marriage venues were licensed after 1837. From 1837 until 1898 Methodist marriages are recorded by the civil Registrar, as Methodists did not begin keeping their own marriage registers until 1898, and even then not all chapels conducted marriages.

Methodist Burials[edit | edit source]

There are far fewer Methodist burial registers than baptism ones, even though they were authorized by the Wesleyan Conference of 1803. Most are at the PRO and have been microfilmed but are, of-course, not on the IGI. John Wesley and several other Methodist worthies are buried in the famous City Road Chapel in Finsbury, Middlesex for which the registers from 1779-1840 are on FS Library film 0597087. There was a large Methodist burial ground at Globe Fields, Stepney, Middlesex from 1820 whose records 1820-1855 are on FS Library film 0596970.

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Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online course English: Non-Anglican Church Records offered by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at wiki@genealogicalstudies.com

We welcome updates and additions to this Wiki page.



The original content for this article was contributed by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course English: Non-Anglican Church Records by Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($).