Methodist mentions
I was very interested in the article in issue 103 about nonconformists, as I have discovered (only this year!) that a large number of my Cornish ancestors were Wesleyan Methodists. Even more exciting, several of them were preachers and ministers. While hunting for more information, I came across a couple of very helpful websites, so I’m sending them to add to your treasure trove of useful online resources.
A good starting point is mywesleyanmethodists. org.uk. It seems to be quite a new site, but has some good links and interesting articles. There is a current one on the bottom of the front page about James Webb of Kenilworth, which is delightful – and which I can visualise very well indeed, since I live in Kenilworth and know all the locations mentioned. methodist heritage.org.uk/research-family.htm is an older site with a slightly different focus, but again with some great advice and links – in particular, one to the Methodists Who’s Who in 1912 at archive.org/details/the methodistwhos 00unknuoft. I found wonderful mini-biographies of several of my ancestors in this. It details Primitive and Unitarian Ministers as well as Wesleyan, and gives great information – including this for my 1st cousin 3x removed, Thomas Morcom Taylor, BA: “Taylor,Tl Rev.R ThomasTh Morcom,M BA (Lond); born July 2 at St Columb, Cornwall; son of Rev Anthony Taylor; married Helena Bertha Johnson, of Leeds and Scarborough; three children. Educated Woodhouse Grove and Kingswood Schools; Richmond College; Entered Ministry 1889. For 13 years, Superintendent of Glasgow Mission. Publication: Portraits and Pictures of the West London Mission. Recreations: Golf and climbing. Address: 104 North Marine Road, Scarborough. Wesleyan.” Isn’t that just brilliant?
Finally, www.library.manchester.ac.uk/searchresources/guide-to-special- collections/methodist/ using-the- collections/index- of-methodistministers/t includes Thomas in a list of ministers, with details showing he entered the ministry in 1889 and died in 1954. Lesley Plant, by email Editor replies: Many thanks for sending in those online sources Lesley – they’ll be a real boost for other readers’ Methodist research. I have Methodists on my family tree, too, so I’ll definitely be checking out these sites to see if they can fill in the gaps in my knowledge.
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