Letter

Scope and Content

Notes

  • Isaac Brown (d.1815) entered the itinerancy in 1760 and travelled mainly in his native Yorkshire for over forty years. Source: Methodist Magazine 1815, p.706
  • Edward Bolton (1747-1818) was the son of a baker from Witney in Oxfordshire. An early convert to Methodism, Bolton served as a local preacher and travelled several times with John Wesley. He was present at the Conference of 1771. Bolton died at his residence of Blandford Park in Oxfordshire on April 28th 1818 after a long illness. His sister Ann Bolton (1743-1822) was a close friend and correspondent of John Wesley Source: Wesleyan Methodist Magazine 1818, p.142-143 and Nancy, Nancy by John Banks (1984)

[Pages 114-123 of the volume:]

From near 'Ashburn' [Ashbourne] to Miss D. Stephenson in Norfolk Street, Sheffield. Bardsley has been very unsettled of late and decided to wait until he was settled in his new circuit before writing. He has been very fatigued recently but is much better now and has arrived in his new [Macclesfield] circuit which he hopes he will like.

Spiritual matters are discussed in detail.

Before Bardsley went to [the London] Conference, he had been informed that [John] Wesley wanted to station him in Macclesfield, so he thought that it would not be good to try to alter his intentions, lest Wesley thought he was hard to please. He has one advantage in this circuit that he has not had before, namely that he can see his dear mother [Martha in Manchester] every six weeks without losing much time.

In his next letter, he will send a more detailed impression of this circuit as he will by then have visited most places.

Bardsley arrived safe in London and saw many of his dear friends. He was never at a 'more comfortable Conference'. There was much love in those assembled and dear Mr Wesley worked hard. Bardsley had the pleasure of hearing him preach twelve times - Wesley said that he had not preached as much at a Conference within the last twenty years and 'never was more assisted'.

Stephenson's sister asked her to write to York, but as it falls outside the time she specified, Bardsley is sending this letter to Sheffield. He trusts that her visit [to York] was a sanctified occasion. He understands from her sisters that she had her trials with the lady with whom she was staying. Spiritual matters are discussed in detail.

Bsrdsley trusts that his dear Sheffield friends will receive kindly the preachers appointed to them [Isaac Brown, John Leech and William Dufton], As ever, Bardsley's advice is to pray for them. He trusts that Stephenson and her sister will call occasionally on Sister Brown [Isaac Brown's wife] and 'sit a little with her.'. Hopefully, [Isaac] Brown and his family will be comfortable in their new circuit. 'Surely it is a pleasant thing when preachers and people dwell together in unity'. Spiritual matters are discussed with particular regard to the importance of prayer for friends.

Spiritual matters are further discussed in detail.

Near to this place lives a man who was a travelling preacher for a few years. He was 'remarkable for gifts and grace too' according to the accounts that Bardsley's friends have given him. Yet now, this man is 'buried alive in the world', comes very rarely to preaching and even worse, Bardsley suspects that he sometimes indulges in wilful sin. 'O that he may remember from where he is fallen.'

He hopes that Mr Stephenson is well and 'finds the Lord at Sheffield as well as at Oxford.I saw a lovely young man at London who has been in his company: his name is [Edward] Bolton of Witney. Bardsley enjoyed his company and 'found my heart much united to him'.

Last Sunday but one, he was at Ashby [de-la-Zouch] and had the pleasure of the company of Miss Gedion and Mrs Jones. They heard him preach three times and were very kind to him.

He hopes that Stephenson will write to him at the house of George Pearson, shopkeeper at the Waters, Macclesfield. In a postscript, he asks that his love be passed to Stephenson's sister and to Mrs and Miss Heald.

Note

Notes

  • Isaac Brown (d.1815) entered the itinerancy in 1760 and travelled mainly in his native Yorkshire for over forty years. Source: Methodist Magazine 1815, p.706
  • Edward Bolton (1747-1818) was the son of a baker from Witney in Oxfordshire. An early convert to Methodism, Bolton served as a local preacher and travelled several times with John Wesley. He was present at the Conference of 1771. Bolton died at his residence of Blandford Park in Oxfordshire on April 28th 1818 after a long illness. His sister Ann Bolton (1743-1822) was a close friend and correspondent of John Wesley Source: Wesleyan Methodist Magazine 1818, p.142-143 and Nancy, Nancy by John Banks (1984)