Wateringbury Methodists (1836)

Post date: Jun 17, 2012 5:14:17 PM

John Wesley (1703-1791) had been branded a "Methodist" with a group of like minded reformists while meeting at Lincoln College Oxford where he was a lecturer because of their very orderly approach to life. Throughout Wesley's life Methodists kept within the Church of England only separating after his death. He was known for his open air preaching, being a keen abolitionists (of slavery) and friendship with Wiliam Wilberforce (in turn closely connected with Lord Barham at Teston.)

In Kent archives (document reference CKS-DRa/R/m/26)is an application from John Brown, a Wesleyan Minister in Maidstone, as follows:

I, John Brown, of Maidstone in the county of Kent, Minister, do hereby certify that a dwelling house now occupied by Thomas Litchfield in Wateringbury, in the county of Kent, is intended forthwith to be used as a place of religious worship by an Assembly or Congregation of Protestants and I hereby require you to register and record the same according to the provisions of the Act passed in the 52nd year of the reign of his Majesty King George the third entitled "An Act to repeal certain Acts and amend other Acts, relating to Religious Worship and Assemblies, and teaching or preaching therein" and hereby request a certificate thereof.

Witness by my hand this 231st day of September 1836.

John Brown

Wesleyan Minister.

So far I have not been able to locate where Thomas Litchfield lived in Wateringbury (no record of such a name in 1851 census).

William Rutter Dawes, a famous astronomer, who lived in Wateringbury from 1850 to 1856, was a Methodist minister.