b'Methodism in Bishop WiltonKate PrattBackground gentleman in Bishop Wilton, Richard Darley: As your sort of preaching is apt to breed quarrels amongst I n the 1770s John Wesley started visiting the areaneighbours, I have agreed with my neighbours to hear round Pocklington, promoting his vision of a methodyou no more 4 . to bring believers to perfection.He was viewed asWithin 5 years of John Wesleys death in 1791, the a schismatic by the Church of England since startingMethodist New Connexion had been formed, which his preaching in 1739, and much of his teachingwas the first breakaway movement within Methodism. was implied criticism of the clergy of the day. HeIn 1811 there was another schismthe Primitive visited Pocklington 20 times, often being greetedMethodistswho sought to return to the roots and with violence, but his message of salvation spreadorigins of Methodism as well as being influenced by rapidly in country districts and little groups of peoplethe Society of Friends, the Quakers. It was born out of worshipped in cottages and barns until they couldRevivalism, open-air preaching, camp meetings and save enough to build a chapel 1 .love feasts. They were known as Ranters, but called Methodism grew quickly. Open air preaching andthemselves a glad and tuneful folk 5 . lively services brought the message to thousands whoPrimitive Methodism came to this area from 1818. would never have gone to church, and the idea ofWilliam Clowes, who had converted to Methodism individual salvation gave to the poor and unprivilegedin 1805, was banned from being a preacher in 1810 a new sense of dignity 2. Although Wesley declaredbecause he attended Camp Meetings. His followers, I live and die a member of the Church of England hecalled Clowesites, became Primitive Methodists. started clandestine ordinations in 1784, which madeHe came to missionise this area because he had a separate body inevitable. Methodists were termedworked at a pottery near Hull, and had been a Dissenters - which they fiercely disclaimed - and thenotorious drunkard and fighter who narrowly missed message they preached did tend to be divisive.being press-ganged, and he felt that he had to make When the Wesleys and their helpers were shutamends for his earlier way of life 6 . out of the Churches, Methodist chapels began toAn even more local name is that of John Oxtoby spring up as followers were formed into classes. known as Praying Johnnywho was born in Little Laymen were appointed leaders of classes, and laterGivendale in 1762, and brought up in Warter. He it many of them were licensed as local preachers,was who gave the land and 10 for the chapel to be who preached to congregations in their ownbuilt there, eventually dying at Londesborough, and neighbourhoods on Sundays, but followed their ownbeing buried at Warter. He was a very well-known trades during the week. Besides these local preacherspreacher in the area from 1824. He dressed quaintly, there came to be travelling preachers who travelledwore a chocolate-coloured neckerchief, a broad-regular circuits, and gave all of their time to the work.brimmed hat, a flitch of bacon coat, small clothes, There were also a number of Anglican clergymen whohob-nailed boots, his hair was combed down almost co-operated with the Wesleys, gave them access toto his eye-brows, he was in fact the type of a village their pulpits and in some instances organized theirfarmer of seventy years ago 7 . His usual greeting was people into classes in Methodist fashion. God bless you, honeys, believe.Methodism found its largest number of adherentsThe preachers were glad to find shelter, and in the industrial and manufacturing counties, andto preach where they could, when they could not among the middle class. Little attention was givenpreach where they would. Storm-battered cowsheds, to the agricultural counties or to farm labourers andbarns, stables, haylofts and coach houses were not tenant farmers. Nor did Wesley show any greatdespised. Blacksmiths smithies, dark and dusty, and interest in the gentry and the nobility, stating that itwheelwrights shops, damp, ruinous and dirty, were required great grace to converse with great people. 3 welcomed; cottages, with mud walls and thatched In the early 1750s, a local preacher calledroofs, were their most common meeting places; while Nicholas Manners was told by the most prominentlonely farmhouses where in kitchen or parlour little 1F S Popham (1954) A History of Christianity in Yorkshire2As above.3Encyclopaedia Britannica4Paul Langford (1989) A Polite and Commercial People: England 1727-17835B Aquila Barber (1923) A Methodist Pageant6F S Popham (1954) A History of Christianity in Yorkshire7Rev. Henry Woodcock (1890) Piety among the Peasantry184 BULLETIN 11'