A BRIEF CHRONICLE 
 
 OF 
 
 WESLEYAN METHODISM 
 
 IR 
 
 LEYTON, ESSEX 
 
 REV, C^SAR CAINE, ER.GJ, 
 
DIVINITY SCHOOL 
 LIBRARY 
 
 FRANK BAKER COLLECTION 
 
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 WESLEY ANA 
 
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 BRITISH METHODISM 
 
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WESLEYAN METHODISM IN 
 LEYTON, ESSEX 
 
A BRIEF CHRONICLE 
 
 OF 
 
 Wesleyan Methodism 
 
 IN LEYTON, ESSEX 
 
 1750-1895 
 
 BY THE REV. 
 
 C/ESAR CAINE, F.R.G.S. 
 
 Autlwr 0/ 
 ' IVeslcyan Methodism in Crewe," " William Pcarce 0/ Poplar," etc. 
 
 NINE ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 T. HUBBARD 
 
 stationer and bookseller 
 
 ^22 High Road 
 
C /:^6 8 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 When I have enquired for old minute-books and similar 
 records of any Wesleyan Circuit or Society to which I 
 have been attached, I have almost invariably been told, 
 "We have none," or, "They are lost." It is to be 
 sincerely hoped that my experience does not represent a 
 condition of things existing generally throughout the 
 country. If so, the fact is to be deplored. Just as all 
 our legal documents are preserved, according to a specific 
 plan, would it not be well for each chapel to possess a 
 safe in which old minute-books, registers, schedules, etc., 
 should be kept? Why should such things, always of 
 interest, sometimes of considerable value, be treated as 
 private propertj', being destroyed, or carried away by 
 ex-officials removing out of the neighbourhood ? 
 
 I have diligently sought for the written records of 
 the Wesleyan Society in Leyton, but I have been dis- 
 appointed again and again by the old answer — "Lost." 
 I have been able to collect, however, from authentic 
 sources, what appears in the following pages. My note- 
 books contain much more than is presented here ; but 
 I have carefully withheld everything which is merely 
 
6 Preface 
 
 traditional, or which has only been passed on verbally 
 from one person to another. 
 
 The entire proceeds of the publication of this Brief 
 Chronicle will be given to the Renovation Fund of the 
 Mary Fletcher Memorial Wesleyan Church {vide pp. 72- 
 76). 
 
 C/ESAR CAINE. 
 
 Ballauohton, Forest Duive West, 
 Leytonstone, March 18, 1896. 
 
 PREFACE TO THE LARGE PAPER EDITION. 
 
 This large paper edition of twenty-five copies has 
 been subscribed by the persons named below. Those 
 copies not appropriated have been placed in the copy- 
 right and local public libraries. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS. 
 
 John Abbott, Esq. 
 Mrs. J. K. Aldom. 
 E. R. Alexander, Esq. 
 J. G. Barclay, Esq. 
 James Baskett, Esq. 
 Mrs. C^sar Caine. 
 Horace Chandler, Esq. 
 G. H. Clippingdale, Esq. 
 J. J. Ckook, Esq. 
 
 J. W. DUNFORD, Esq. 
 JosiAH GuNTON, Esq. 
 A. T. Morse, Esq. 
 W. W. PococK, Esq., B.A. 
 J. Richards, Esq. 
 W. H. Ronald, Esq. 
 Richard Skelton, Esq. 
 Charles J. Thomas, Esq. 
 Simon Westcott, Esq. 
 
 C. C. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAP. PAOE 
 
 I. MARY BOSANQUET, THE FIRST WESLEYAN IN LEYTON 9 
 
 II. JOHN Wesley's visits to leyton . . .24 
 
 III. AN organised society, AND THE UNITED BROTHER- 
 HOOD ...... 27 
 
 IV. THE FIRST WESLEYAN PREACHING " ROOM " . . 33 
 
 V. THE FIRST CHAPEL ..... 35 
 
 VI. THE ENDOWMENT ..... 39 
 
 VII. THE CAUSE IN THE HIGH COURT OP CHANCERY . 43 
 
 VIII. THE SECOND CHAPEL ..... 59 
 
 IX. THE MAKY FLETCHER MEMORIAL CHURCH . . 65 
 
 X. RENOVATIONS ...... 72 
 
 XI. PREACHERS WHO HAVE TRAVELLED IN LEYTON . 77 
 
 XII. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL .... 82 
 
 XIII. SOME NOTEWORTHY EVENTS . . . .84 
 
 XIV. AN OBITUARY ...... 91 
 
WESLEYAN METHODISM IN LEYTON, 
 
 ESSEX 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Forest House and its occupauts — Mary Bosaiif^uet born — Forced to 
 leave home — Takes lodgings at Hoxton — Returns to Leyton 
 and opens an Orphanage — Forms a Methodist Society — Diffi- 
 culties in the work — The rules of the "Home." 
 
 Letton is rich in early llethodist associations. At the 
 upper end of James Lane/ which runs past the south 
 side of the Mary Fletcher Memorial Church, there stands 
 the well-known Forest House, so called from being within 
 the herders of Epping Forest. 
 
 Anciently this estate formed part of the lands of the 
 Abbot of Waltham. In the Stuart period it belonged to 
 Lord Charles Goring, Earl of Norwich. Later it passed 
 by purchase to a family named Bosanquet. 
 
 Here, on September 1, 1739, Mary Bosanquet was 
 born. She became, chiefly through the influence of a 
 godly servant, a very earnest Methodist, and was married 
 eventually, at the age of forty - two, to the Eev. John 
 
 ' James Lane takes its name from Robert James, who occupied a 
 farm on the borders of the Forest about 1770. It is sometuues 
 called SaiiU James Lane, which, of course, is incorrect, though we 
 would not suggest that the said Robert was less of a saint than 
 his neighbours. One thing we know of him — he had no love for 
 Methodist field - preachers ; vide p. 27, where he signs a protest 
 against them. 
 
lo Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley ; or, as she puts it in 
 her diary — " So on Monday, the 12th of November, 
 1781, in Batley Church, we covenanted in the Name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 ' to bear each other's burdens,' and to become one for 
 ever." ' 
 
 Mary Bosanquet had one sister and two brothers. 
 Her parents, good Church people of the times, firmly 
 resisted the idiosyncrasies of their Methodist daughter, 
 and at last enforced her retirement from their house. 
 It will be better to permit the young lady to tell her 
 own story. ^ Referring to her home - life at the age of 
 twenty-one slie says : — 
 
 " My dear mother had sometimes expressed a belief 
 that it would be better for the family if I were removed 
 from it, lest my brothers, who were younger than I, 
 should be infected by my sentiments and example. Yet 
 she did not see it clear to bid me go, but rather wished 
 me to depart of my own accord. The furnace now 
 became hot ; but I did not dare to come out without the 
 Lord. Indeed, could there have been any amicable 
 agreement between me and my parents, permitting me to 
 live elsewhere, I would gladly have consented to do so. 
 I even made some proposals of this kind ; but they never 
 saw it good to concur. Providence thus overruled my 
 desire for wise ends ; and to run away from my father's 
 house, I could not think of. I was twenty-one years of 
 age, and had a small fortune of my own. I saw myself 
 on the verge of a material change, and it was easy to 
 discern that my father's house would not long be a refuge 
 for me ; but in what manner I should be removed, or 
 what trials I might yet have to go through, I could not 
 tell. The continual language of my heart was, ' I am 
 oppressed : Lord, imdertake Thou for me ! ' 
 
 ' Henry Moore, Tlie Life of Mrs. Mary Flctclier, Consort mid 
 Relict of the Rev. John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Salop : amijnled 
 from her Journal, aiid other authentic Documents, p. 141. 
 
 2 Henry Moore, The Life of Mrs. Mary Fletcher, pp. 35-55 
 abridged. 
 

 
 
 
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 MARY FLETCHEK, (Itc BOSAKyUET. 
 
Mary Bosanquet leaves Home 13 
 
 " One day my father said to me, ' There is a particular 
 promise which I require of you, that you will never, on 
 any occasion, either now or hereafter, attempt to make 
 your brothers what you call a Christian.' 
 
 " I answered (looking to the Lord), ' I think, sir, I dare 
 not consent to that.' 
 
 " He replied, ' Then you force me to put you out of my 
 house.' 
 
 " I answered, ' Yes, sir, according to your views of 
 things, I acknowledge it ; and if I may but have your 
 approval, no situation will be disagreeable.' 
 
 "He replied, 'There are many things in your present 
 situation which must be, I should think, very uncom- 
 fortable.' 
 
 "This I acknowledged, and added that, if he would 
 but say he approved of my removal, I would take a 
 lodging which I heard of at Mrs. Gold's in Hoxton 
 Square ; but that no suffering could incline me to leave 
 him, except by his free consent. 
 
 " He replied, with some emotion, ' I do not know that 
 you have ever disobliged me wilfully in your life, but 
 only in these fancies ; and my children shall always have 
 a home in my house.' 
 
 "As I could not but foresee that a separation would 
 take place (though I knew not how nor when), I judged 
 it most prudent to take the lodgings, that, in case I 
 should be suddenly removed, I might have a home to go 
 to ; which I preferred to the going into a friend's house 
 as a visitor. I also hired a sober girl to be ready when- 
 ever I might want her. I informed my mother, a short 
 time after, of the steps I had taken. She gave me two 
 beds, one for myself and a little one for my maid ; and 
 appeared to converse on it in a way of approval. Some- 
 thing, however, seemed to hold us, on both sides, from 
 bringing it to the point. 
 
 " For the next two months I suffered much ; my mind 
 was exercised with many tender and painful feelings. 
 One day my mother sent me word that I must go home 
 to my lodgings that night. I went down to dinner, but 
 
14 Wesleyan Methodism in Ley ton 
 
 they said iiotliing on the subject, and I could not begin 
 it. The next day, as I was sitting in my room, I re- 
 ceived again the same message. During dinner, however, 
 nothing was spoken on the subject. When it was over, 
 I knew not what to do. I was mucli distressed. I 
 thought, ' If they go out without saying anything to me, 
 I cannot go ; and if they should not invite me to come 
 and see them again, how shall I bear it ? ' My mind 
 was pressed down with sorrow by this suspense. 
 
 " Just as they were going out, my mother said, ' If 
 you will, the coach, when it has set us down, may carry 
 you home to your lodging.' 
 
 " My father added, ' And we shall be glad to see you 
 to dinner next Tuesday.' 
 
 " This was some relief. I remained silent. When the 
 coach returned, I ordered my trunk into it ; and, strug- 
 gling with myself, took a kind leave of each of the 
 .servants, as they stood in a row in tears, in my way 
 out of the house. About eight o'clock I reached my 
 lodging. 
 
 " It consisted of two rooms, as yet unfurnished. I had 
 neither candle nor any convenience. The people of the 
 house I had never seen before, only I know them by 
 character to be sober persons. I borrowed a table and a 
 candlestick, and the window-seat served mo as a chair. 
 When, bolting my door, I began to muse on my present 
 situation. 
 
 " The prejudices of education are .strong, especially in 
 those persons who have been brought up in rather high 
 life. The being removed from a parent's habitation 
 seemed very awful. I looked upon myself as being 
 liable to a deep reproach, and trembled at the thought. 
 But I remembered that word, ' He that loveth father or 
 mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me.' 
 
 " My maid being now come, and having lighted a fire 
 in the other room, and borrowed a few things of the 
 family, she begged me to come into it, as the night was 
 very cold. And now my captivity seemed turning 
 every moment. That thought, ' I am brought out from 
 

 
 FOUUbl ll'JUSF, 
 S'OW A BRANCH OF THE WEST HAM UNION WORKHOUSE. 
 
Joined by Sarah Ryan 17 
 
 the world ; I have nothing to do but to be holy, both in 
 body and in spirit,' filled me with consolation. Thank- 
 fulness overflowed my heart ; and such a spirit of peace 
 and content poured into my soul, that all about me 
 seemed a little heaven." 
 
 In a little while Jliss Bosanquet was joined in her 
 Ho.xton lodging by Sarah Ryan, who was at one time 
 John Wesley's housekeeper at Bristol, iliss Bosanquet, 
 speaking in their united name, goes on : 
 
 " We continued together at Hoxton some time. When 
 I was about twenty-three, the people of Laytonstone 
 were much laid on my mind. I had both my birth and 
 maintenance from that place, and I could not help 
 thinking I owed something to their souls. Yet I saw 
 the way very diflScult. My parents permitted me to be 
 often with them, and seemed pretty well reconciled to 
 my manner of life, while at a distance. ' But how,' 
 thought I, ' will it appear in their eyes, to bring the 
 preachers they so much object to within a mile of their 
 house ? I thought I should not now be called to otfend 
 them anj' further. Cannot the Lord, if He sees good, 
 send the gospel to those people in some other way ? ' 
 Thus I put it from my mind again and again ; yet a 
 strange love for the souls in that place would spring up 
 in my heart ; and when I said, ' Lord, send by whom 
 Thou wilt send, but not by me ! ' those words again 
 presented themselves, — ' He that loveth father or mother 
 more than Me, is not worthy of Me.' 
 
 "About this time a house of my own at Laytonstone 
 became untenanted. My friend, as well as myself, saw 
 many reasons for our remo\dng to that place. We 
 prayed much about it, and I asked the Lord to show us 
 clearly His %\-ill ; and at length felt from the Lord, first, 
 a liberty to believe, that if my father did absolutely for- 
 bid my coming, I was not required to do it. Secondly, 
 I knew God did not require impossibilities : I had not 
 yet an income sufficient for living in that place. I 
 asked therefore, as a further mark, the settling an affair 
 which kept me out of part of my fortune, occasioned by 
 
1 8 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 a flaw in the making of my grandmother's will. I had 
 taken some pains about this affair before, but to no 
 purpose. However, I slightly mentioned it again, and 
 it was settled directly. Then I made known to my 
 father my thought about living at Laytonstone. I used 
 no deception ; but told him plainly the end I proposed 
 in so doing, my mother being present. He made not the 
 least objection, only added with a smile, ' If a mob 
 should pull down your house about your ears, I cannot 
 hinder them.' 
 
 "This was in the year 1763. On March the 24th of 
 the same year, we removed to Laytonstone. i From the 
 first hour we found much of the presence of God, and 
 stood still to see His salvation. In order to supply the 
 want of public means (which we could not have but 
 when we went to London), we agreed to spend an hour 
 every night together in spiritual reading and prayer. A 
 poor woman, with whom I had formerly talked, came to 
 ask if she might come in when we made-prayer. We 
 told her, at seven every Thursday night she should be 
 welcome. She soon brought two or three more, and 
 then others, till in a short time our little company in- 
 creased to twenty-five. One night, just before the time 
 of meeting, a poor woman called with a basket of cakes 
 to sell. On our refusing to buy any, she stood still a 
 long time at the gate. We began to converse with her 
 about her soul, when .she expressed a great desire to stay 
 the meeting ; and in so doing was so greatly blessed, 
 that she would fain have left us part of her goods in 
 return. We now thought it would be well to converse 
 with each in particular, and that the time was come for 
 it. Some few were offended, and came no more ; but 
 most appeared under conviction, and those we appointed 
 
 ' There appeared in 1704 a tract of twenty-three pages, entitled, 
 "A Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, by a Gentlewoman, 
 London. Sold at the Founder}', Upper MoorKelds." The letter 
 bears date, " Laton-Stjne, November 8, 1764." This is an account 
 of the home of Miss Bosanquet from her own pen. It is likely that 
 the letter was published by John Wesley. 
 
Threatened by a Mob 19 
 
 to meet on. Tuesday uight, reserving the Thursday for 
 the public meeting, which still kept increasing, and in 
 which we read a chapter, and sometimes spoke from it. 
 
 " The first time we met on the Tuesday night two were 
 set at liberty. We now thought it expedient to applj' to 
 Mr. Wesley for a preacher. He approved our plan, and 
 sent Mr. Murliu the next Sunday ; and within a fort- 
 night we had twenty -five joined in society. JIuch 
 opposition now arose from all sides (though more from 
 the rich than the poor) ; and one Thursday night, as I 
 was speaking to a pretty large company in my own 
 kitchen, the bell at the fore-gate was rung very hard. 
 Our servant, who was a pious woman, went to see who 
 was there. In the meantime, four shabby-looking men, 
 with great sticks in their hands, came in at the backdoor, 
 and so into the kitchen. 
 
 "The servant soon returned with some emotion, and 
 whispered me, ' It is Mr. W., who is come to inform 
 you, you must, if you please, break olf; for here is a 
 great mob coming, and the ringleaders are four men with 
 clubs.' 
 
 " Turning to the people, I answered her aloud, ' Oh, we 
 do not mind mobs, when we are about our blaster's 
 business. Greater is He that is for us, than all that can 
 be against us.' 
 
 " I then went on till I had concluded my subject. 
 Having a few of the Rules of the Society, which I 
 intended to disperse that night, I addressed myself first 
 to the four men, who stood before me, explained what 
 they were, and asked if they would choose to accept one. 
 They received them with a respectful bow, and went out. 
 Who they were, and what was their purpose, I know not 
 to this day. We heard no more of the mob. 
 
 " At this time the hand of the Lord was much with 
 us, supporting and comforting us under every trial. 
 There was only my friend Ryan, myself, the maid, and 
 Sally Lawrence,^ a child about four years old, whom I 
 
 ' Little Sally became one of the trophies of Mary Bosanquet's 
 excellent work. See p. 91. 
 
20 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 had just befoic taken from tlie side of lier mother's 
 coflfiii into our house. On one side it was open to the 
 Forest ; and I know not that one of the awakened people 
 lived within a mile of us. We were as on a desert alone ; 
 but the Lord was with us, and preserved us beneath His 
 love's almighty shade. The enemy came, however, to 
 the length of his chain. Sometimes on Sundays, when 
 the nights Avere dark, after the society meeting, a mob 
 used to collect at the gate, and throw dirt at the people 
 as they went out ; and when they were gone, they used 
 to come into the yard, breaking some trifles they found 
 there, and, putting up their face to a window which had 
 no shutters, roar and howl like wild beasts." 
 
 When the sisterhoods now existing in Wesleyan- 
 ism originated a few years ago, grave apprehensions 
 were entertained by many of our people concerning 
 this "new departure." To nut a few the idea of a 
 distinctive dress or uniform was specially obnoxious. 
 Very happily all these unreasonable prejudices are 
 dead and buried long ago. These sisterhoods and their 
 distinctive uniforms are not one step in advance of the 
 methods of the early Wesleyans. The first Leyton 
 Wesleyans consisted of a small sisterhood, wearing, for 
 reasons of their own, a particular habit, never laid aside 
 upon any pretext. 
 
 But we must permit Miss Bosanquet to continue. She 
 states : — 
 
 " We now found work enough on our hands, and 
 wished to free ourselves from all needless cares. As 
 well, therefore, to answer that end, as to avoid conformity 
 to the world, we thought it best to have but one dress. 
 We fixed on a dark purple cotton, of which we had 
 many pieces stamped ; and ourselves, with the whole 
 family, wore nothing else. We had a large hall, and in 
 it a table five yards long, at which we ate together. 
 There, also, we assembled for morning and evening 
 devotion, and on several other occasions. But in general 
 
Care of Children at Leyton 2 i 
 
 the cliildreu were iu thu nursury, uud the other sisters in 
 their own apartments. 
 
 " For a considerable time our family consisted of one 
 servant, six orphans, and ourselves ; but we found it 
 took up too much of our time to liave the whole care of 
 them alone, especially as my friend Kyan was often 
 confined by illness. We therefore took a pious young 
 woman, named Ann Tripp, who desired to devote her- 
 self to God, in a closer walk than the generality of 
 believers. She was placed as governess over the children, 
 whose number continued to increase. Some serious 
 women also were added to our household, and to each 
 of them particular duties and employments were assigned. 
 In the whole, we received thirty -five children, and 
 thirty-four grown persons ; but not all at one time. 
 
 " We now set ourselves to enquire of the Lord, how we 
 should train up these children to His glory, and a few 
 out of many reflections wliich occurred to my mind I 
 will endeavour to set down. Dut I must observe, first, 
 as most of our children were naked, full of vermin, and 
 some afflicted with distempers, the first thing was to 
 clean and clothe them, and attend to their health, 
 which usually was followed with much success. At the 
 same time, we endeavoured to bring them to an outward 
 conformity of manners with the rules of the house, and 
 to some coiutesy of behaviour : this was not difficult, as 
 a child naturally falls in \vith what it sees in others. 
 The second attempt was to fix on their minds that we 
 had no motive in receiving them into our house but that 
 of love ; love to their souls and bodies : we wished to 
 save their bodies from misery, and their souls from 
 eternal destruction. 
 
 "As we intended them to work for their bread, either 
 as servants or in little trades, we endeavoured as early 
 as possible to inure them to labour, early rising, and 
 cleanliness. The elder children rose between four and 
 five, and the younger not much later. At half an hour 
 after six we had family prayer. At seven we break- 
 fasted together on herb-tea or milk-porridge. The small 
 
2 2 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 children then went into the garden till eight. At eight 
 the bell rang for school, which continued till twelve. 
 Then, after a few minutes spent in prayer, they came 
 down to us ; at which time we either walked out with 
 them, or, if the weather did not permit, we found them 
 some employment in the house, endeavouring at the same 
 time to give them both instruction and recreation. We 
 invented various employments for those hours, in order 
 to remove the appearance of idleness ; as, from the first, 
 we endeavoured to impress that lesson on their minds, — 
 ' An idle person is the devil's cushion, on which he rolls 
 at pleasure ' ; likewise, that, in the choice of their 
 employments, tliey should always prefer those that are 
 most useful, and be always able to render a reason for 
 everything they did. At one we dined ; about two the 
 bell rang again for school ; and at five tiiey returned to 
 us, and were employed as before, till supper-time. Then, 
 after family prayer, they were washed, and put to bed by 
 eight. Four or five of the bigger girls were each week 
 kept out of the school by turns, and employed in house- 
 work, cooking, etc., that they might be accustomed to 
 every sort of business ; and there was work enough in so 
 large a family. Several of the children were very young, 
 though I do not remember we had any under two years, 
 except one of about a month old, which was laid, very 
 neatly dressed, one night late at our door ; but it lived 
 only a fortnight. 
 
 " We now found great need of wisdom and patience. 
 We had, I think, never more than ten grown persons in 
 the family at one time who were not invalids ; nor do I 
 ever remember above five or six altogether in health. . 
 The children also, for the first few years, laboured under 
 various disorders ; for we did not refuse either old or 
 young on account of being sick and helpless : in the end 
 all recovered who came in infirm. We sometimes had 
 much to do ; for the care of the sick, the management 
 of eighteen or twenty children, with various meetings, 
 and the needful attention to the work of God in a new- 
 raised society, with the reception of the number of 
 
Signature of Mary Fletcher 23 
 
 strangers who visited us on spiritual accounts, occasioned 
 those of us who had the work of God at heart a good 
 deal of labour and suffering." 
 
 This truly Christian enterprise was continued, with the 
 personal superintendence of Miss Bosanquet, till 1768 — a 
 period of five years. 
 
 /77 etn>j J^Lt^CZr^JU^^ 
 
 SIGNATUIIE OF MARY FLETCHEE, 
 FEOM A LETTER IN POSSESSION OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
ClIAPTEK II 
 
 Wesley visits Miss Bosanquet — Excerpts from his Journal — 
 Death of Miss Lewen — Furtlier excerpts — Miss Bosanquet 
 removes to Yorkshire — Wesley's last visits — Decay. 
 
 John Wesley repeatedly visited Miss Eosanquet's 
 orphanage. The entries in his Journal are under the 
 heading of "Leytonstone," ^ and are as follows : 
 
 "Saturday, October 20, 1764. — My horses meeting me 
 at Burntvvood, I rode on to Leytonstone, and preached 
 to a serious congregation on, ' I will ; be thou clean.' 
 The following week I made a little tour through part of 
 Kent and Sussex, where some of our brethren swiftly 
 increase in goods. Do they increase in grace too? If 
 not, let them take care that their money do not perish 
 with them." 
 
 " Saturday, December 2, 1764. — M. B. gave me a farther 
 account of their affairs at Leytonstone. It is exactly 
 Pietas Hallensis in miniature. What it will be does not 
 yet appear." 
 
 " Thursday, December 12, 1765. — I rode over to Leyton- 
 stone, and found one truly Christian family : that is, 
 
 ' In those days Leytonstone was only part of the then un- 
 divided parish of Leyton. Leyton is the town {ton) by the river 
 Lea {Ley). It was for convenience spoken of as Low Lej'ton, the 
 low-lying lands by the river, and LeytonsiorK:, the high lands 
 toward the Forest, where, anciently, stood a Roman milestone. 
 
Excerpts from Wesley's J 07{7'nai 25 
 
 wliat that at Kingswood should be, and would, if it had 
 such governors." 
 
 "Friday, 13. — I examined the children, one by one. 
 Several of them did find the love of God. One enjoys it 
 still, and continues to walk humbly and closely with God." 
 
 " Friday, October 31, 1766. — At my return to London 
 I found it needful to hasten to Leytonstone ; but I came 
 too late. Miss Lewen died the day before, after an ill- 
 ness of five days. Some hovirs before she witnessed that 
 good confession — 
 
 Nature's last agony is o'er, 
 And cruel sin subsists no more, 
 
 A while after she cried out earnestly, ' Do you not see 
 Him ? There He is ! Glory ! glory ! glory ! I shall be 
 with Him for ever, — for ever, — for ever ! ' So died 
 Margaret Lewen ! a pattern to all young women of fortune 
 in England : a real Bible Christian. So she ' rests 
 from her labours, and her works do follow her.' " 
 
 Miss Lewen, who was a helper in Miss Bosanquet's 
 family, possessed an income of about six hundred pounds 
 per annum. By a codicil she bequeathed to Miss 
 Bosanquet's orphanage two thousand pounds, and expressed 
 a wish to make it ten or twelve thousand. Miss Bosanquet, 
 who found it " more blessed to give than to receive," 
 prevailed upon her friend to hand over the codicil that 
 it might be burned. Wesley greatly benefited by this 
 lady's will. He had also been a recipient of her gene- 
 rosity previously. In 1765, after a fall from his horse in 
 Southwark, she purchased him a chaise and a pair of 
 horses.^ 
 
 " Tliursday, February 12, 1767. — I preached at Leyton- 
 stone. Oh, what an house of God is here ! Not only for 
 
 ' See p. 91. Miss Lewen is referred to in Wesley's works, vol. 
 ii. pp. 205, 207, 208, 268 ; vol. xii. pp. 131, 309. 
 
 4 
 
26 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 decency and order, but for the life and power of religion ! 
 I am afraid there are very few such to be found in all 
 the King's dominions." 
 
 "Friday, November 20, 1767. — In theevening I preached 
 at Leytonstone. How good would it be for me to be 
 here, not twice a year, but in n month ! So it appears to 
 me : but God is wiser than man ; when it is really best, 
 will He not bring it to pass 1 " 
 
 In June, 1768, Miss Bosanquet was persuaded to 
 occupy a farm in yorkshire,^ with the hope that the 
 profits arising therefrom might help to sustain her 
 philanthropic work. 
 
 Upon her removal an effort was made to perpetuate 
 her work in Leyton, but Wesley's Journal indicates how 
 the institution languished and soon ceased to exist. 
 
 "Thursday, March 3, 1774. — I preached at L . 
 
 But oh what a change is there ! The Society is shrunk 
 to five or six members, and probably will soon shrink to 
 nothing. And the family is not even a shadow of that 
 which was for some years a pattern to all the kingdom ! " 
 
 "Tuesday, January 5, 1790. — I paid a visit to my 
 old friend Mark Davis ; and in the evening I preached 
 to a small audience at Leytonstone." 
 
 These are the final glimpses we catch of Miss 
 Bosanquet's orphanage and society before it falls to 
 pieces and ceases to exist. 
 
 When one contemplates the fate which befell this 
 enterprise, and also remembers that the Yorkshire venture 
 involved Miss Bosanquet in serious financial losses, it 
 appears, though one dare not be a judge in such a case, 
 as if her surrender of the work she had founded here 
 were a false step. 
 
 ' Cross Hall, near Leed.s, 
 
CHAPTER HI 
 
 Methodism reintroduoeJ — Mrs. Tilt — A " field -preacher " — Miss 
 Bosanquet's brothers — William Pocock — Hannah Poeock 
 nie Fuller — AVesleyans and the French invasion of England. 
 
 While the Wesleyaii Society was declinicg in one part 
 of the parish it appeared in another part, and this time 
 it came to stay. About the year 1770 a Mrs. Tilt 
 invited Wesley's preachers to visit Leyton. Ever ready 
 to preach the gospel in the highways and hedges, they 
 cheerfully responded to the call, and made Leyton Green 
 the centre of their operations. 
 
 That the movement met with determined opposition is 
 clear from an entry in the parish records. 
 
 "May 5, 1777, 
 
 " Information having been given that a field-preacher 
 has been several times in this parish on a Sunday, and 
 hath preached to large congregations in tlie open air, it 
 is ordered that the constables do attend, whenever he 
 shall appear again, and take the name of the preacher if 
 they can learn it, and also that they take the names of as 
 many of the auditors as they can find out, and lay informa- 
 tion before some Magistrate against the persons offending. 
 
 "Tho. Keighley, Vicar. 
 
 " Job Martin, Ch : warden. 
 
 " John Roebuck, Overseer. 
 
 "P. Bertie. 
 
 "S. BOSANQUET. 
 
 "W. Hanson. 
 "Robert James. 
 "Smith Humphrey. 
 "Edw. Wei.i.s." 
 
28 Wesleyaii Methodism in Leyton 
 
 The fifth name of the above signatures is that of a 
 brother of Mary Bosanquet, who, upon the death of his 
 parents, about ten years previously, had entered into the 
 possession of Forest House. 
 
 The Rev. J. Kennedy says ' of the name S. Bosanquet 
 above : " I think this must be the brother of Miss 
 Mary Bosanquet, wlio joined the Methodists, and married 
 the Rev. John Fletcher. Did the fact of her joining 
 the Methodists irritate her brother against the field- 
 preacher ? " 
 
 Very probably so, but the personal relation of Mr. S. 
 Bosanquet, and especially of his younger brother William, 
 toward their Methodist sister was very kindly. Her diary 
 refers to them in very affectionate terms." 
 
 Nor was this official interference the only opposition 
 the itinerant evangelist had to face. The villagers appear 
 to have been very active in their attempts to make the 
 open-air services impossible, sometimes being content with 
 
 ' Kennedy, History of Leyton, ji. 391. 
 
 - We find these notes referring to their decease : 
 
 " 1806, July 7, Monday. — Last night, when I came out from the 
 society meeting, I found a letter from Loudon, informing me of tlie 
 deatli of my dear brother Samuel, who died about eleven in the 
 forenoon on Friday last, the 4th of this month. I have had much 
 encouragement in my mind about him for some days, and so have 
 some of my spiritual friends. His death seems to bring eternity 
 very near." 
 
 "1813, April 20. — Since I wrote last, on March the third, my 
 dear brother William died. We were four in nundjer, and I am 
 now left alone. But I have cause to believe he is in glory. He 
 liath been a kind brother to me. When I married, he sent me one 
 hundred pounds as a wedding -present. After the death of my 
 dear husband, he came down to me, and with the greatest tender- 
 ness and affection brought me forty pounds. Some time after my 
 uncle Claudius Bosanquet died, and left each of my brothers 
 eighteen thousand pounds, and several of his nephews and nieces 
 five hundred each ; but neither my sister nor myself was mentioned. 
 My brother William, at that time, divided one of his thousands 
 between us. Since that time he has helped me yearly for my 
 poor's expenses, and for some time has given me forty pounds 
 a year." 
 
William Pocock 29 
 
 boisterous mirth, aud on other occasions showing violent 
 manifestations of malice and hate. 
 
 Nevertheless the good work prospered, and a "company 
 of men having the form, and seeking the power, of godli- 
 ness," became " united in order to pray together, to receive 
 the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another 
 in love, that they might help each other to work out their 
 salvation." 
 
 At first they met in a private house, but about 1780 
 they occupied, jointly with some of the followers of George 
 Whitefield, a small chapel which stood in Meeting Yard or 
 Chapel Yard, in the High Street. The little sanctuary has 
 disappeared long ago, and two cottages occupy the site ; 
 but everybody in the neighbourhood knows Chapel Yard. 
 This union of Wesley's and Whitefield's followers was 
 known for some time as the United Brotherhood of 
 Methodists and Independents. 
 
 In 1786 Methodism in Leyton received an impetus, 
 which was sustained for half a century, by William 
 Pocock coming from London to reside here. Mr. Pocock 
 was probably a descendant of Dr. Edward Pocock, who 
 was Rector of Childrey in 1643, "perhaps as great an 
 Oriental scholar as England has produced in any age." 1 
 His immediate ancestors held lands, known as Eignal, 
 in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. His father be- 
 queathed these lands to his widow, who, "marrying again, 
 carried it out of the family," the result being that William 
 had to commence life as a carpenter, with no capital but 
 his own industry and skill.- 
 
 He was about thirty-six years of age when he came to 
 Leyton, and carried on for many years a prosperous 
 business as builder and cabinet-maker. It is said that 
 in his sliop the first telescope dining-tables were manu- 
 factured. Mr. Pocock resided in the house in the High 
 Street now inhabited by Mr. A. F. Pcskett, M.E.C.S.E. 
 Owing to unwise business speculations on the part of 
 
 'Dr. Adam Clarke. 
 
 " W. W. Pococlf, /n Memoriam : William Fuller Pocock, 
 F.R.I. B. A. 
 
30 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 one of his sous, whom he liaJ appoiuted manager of his 
 London business, Mr Pocock was reduced, toward the 
 close of his life, to straitened financial circumstances. 
 At this time he removed to a cottage, which is still stand- 
 ing, on the north side of the chapel at Knott's Green. 
 Hannah, his wife, whom he married in 1778, was a 
 daughter of Major Fuller of High Wycombe. Mrs. 
 Pocock became attached to the Methodists prior to her 
 marriage, while resident at High "Wycombe. During her 
 early married life she attended, in London, the preaching 
 of John and Charles Wesley, and induced her husband 
 to do the same. They were both present at the laying 
 of the foundation - stones of Wesley's Chapel in City 
 Road. After their removal to Leyton, John Wesley 
 visited them in their new home, and accompanied them 
 to the parish church of St. Mary, holding, in the after- 
 part of the day, a service in the Methodist preaching- 
 house. The veteran evangelist paid his last visit to 
 Leyton in 1792, a few weeks before his death. Of these 
 visits there is no record in Wesley's Journal. 
 
 During the opening years of the present century the 
 whole land was arming and drilling in preparation for 
 the threatened invasion by Buonaparte. Few counties 
 would be in a greater state of excitement than Essex 
 at this time. Two letters from William Pocock to his 
 sons — John and William — are preserved, affording us 
 a glance at the principal Methodist home in Leyton at 
 this time.i 
 
 "Leyton, August 15, 1803. 
 
 " Dear John, — Besides Mr. Oliver's cushion, I have 
 another order that must be done as soon as possible, that 
 is, to procure a Large Red Flag, to be hoisted on the 
 Parish Church in case of invasion. I don't know what 
 the dimensions should be, but the order from Government 
 to our churchwardens is a Large Red Flag. The Union 
 flag at Walthamstow is about 6 yards long by about 3J. 
 
 ' Pocock, In Mrmoricmi, p. 20. 
 
Letters of William Pocock 31 
 
 That, I uudeistand, was purchased at Mangle's, at Gun- 
 dock, Wapping ; the beadle says it only cost 25s. That 
 seems a small sum. However, you must get this there, 
 or elsewhere immediately, and I will procure and fix the 
 pole, so that it may be up by Sunday, as I understand 
 Sir Sydney Smith thinks the Dutch row-boats may be 
 ready to get out in a week. It must be silk, I appre- 
 hend, or the same as flags are made of in general. — I 
 am, yours, etc. 
 
 William Pocock. 
 " To Mr. J. W. Pocock, 
 
 " 26 Southampton Street." 
 
 This is a purely business communication, but it will 
 prove interesting, locall}', far beyond Wesleyan circles. 
 The demand to lioist the red flag never came. It is 
 indeed needless to say so, but one may be forgiven 
 making the statement, since it pleases our patriotic 
 pride. 
 
 The second letter is a-s follows : 
 
 '• March li, 1804. 
 
 " Dear Wiixiam, — We are to have part of the Epping 
 troop quartered on us on Thursday night, if you would 
 like to spend the evening with them. They are to 
 parade at the Bush at half-past nine on Friday morning. 
 I can find room for your horse, as I have provided for 
 them at the Blackbirds. There will be Big Bob, and his 
 brother, and the father of both. — I am, etc. 
 
 W. P. 
 
 " To Mr. W. F. Pocock, surveyor, 
 
 " 26 Southampton Street. 
 
 " P.S. — Have you got Arnold's Anthems in town? — 
 If you have, bring it down, as we must employ these 
 noisy fellows in singing good, or we shall be obliged to 
 hear all their rodomontade songs. Enquire of John and 
 George if they know where it is, and don't forget to 
 bring it." 
 
32 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 The descendant who has preserved these letters re- 
 marks that this postscript is " suggestive." Very true ! 
 Few will read this letter and fail to admire the fore- 
 thought and commendable guile of this early Methodist 
 in his earnest endeavour to guide circumstances to some 
 profitable account, and many will be reminded of the 
 triumphs won, in all ages, by the power of Christian 
 song. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 Tlie Wesleyan "Room" — Uncertainty of its date of erection — 
 Easter Tuesday Lovefeasts — Conversion of Charles Haydon. 
 
 Mr. William Pocock built a wooden preachiug-room, of 
 the feather-board type so common in old Essex houses. 
 This building, which appears to have superseded the use 
 of the Union Chapel, stood on the opposite side of the 
 High Street from Chapel Yard, and nearer to the Lea 
 Bridge Eoad. 
 
 I have not discovered any trace of this erection, 
 though I have had the site marked upon a plan, by the 
 oldest su^^'iving member of the Pocock family, and have 
 made a thorough search among the old houses of the 
 vicinity. 
 
 "When this chapel was built is very uncertain. The 
 only fact I have been able to establish is, that it was 
 standing, and in use, in 1820. 
 
 One of the features of Leyton Wesleyanism at this 
 time was an annual lovefeast held on Easter Tuesday. 
 These gatherings, which continued to about 1850, caused 
 the day to be known as Bun-and- Water Day. William 
 ilunt Marshall,! who died in 1882, left a brief MS. 
 account of Wesleyanism at Leyton, in which he gives 
 the following interesting episode in connexion with this 
 lovefeast. He relates : " It became quite a holiday 
 treat to many of the London friends, and I have seen 
 the chapel thronged with earnest men and women. I 
 was privileged to hear the late Rev. Charles Haydon 
 preach the opening sermon at our new chapel at Waltham- 
 ' Trustee of Knotfs Green Chapel, 1872. 
 
 5 
 
34 Wesleyan Methodism in Ley ton 
 
 stow. At the conclusion of the afternoon service I had 
 some conversation with him. He seemed not to be aware 
 he was so near to Leyton, and I was both surprised and 
 pleased to hear him say that he had known Leyton, and 
 Leyton Methodism, in the olden time. He had been 
 several times, in his younger days, to the Easter love- 
 feast, but the first time he had no right to be there. He 
 was entering the chapel, he said, with a friend, but the 
 steward at the door would not admit him, because he 
 had no ticket of membership. This made him tliinli — 
 and he thought if it required something he did not 
 possess to gain admission to God's House on earth, what 
 would be required to entitle him to admission to God's 
 House above 1 The impression made upon his mind was 
 deep and lasting, and led him to determine, 'This people 
 shall be my people, and their God my God.' Soon after 
 he offered himself for the work of the ministry,' and was 
 accepted."^ 
 
 ' Charles Haydon entered the ministry in 1S25 ; d. 1877. 
 - MS. of the late Mr. Marshall, p. 19. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 The first chapel — Memoriet: of an old member — Lease of groimd for 
 twenty-live j-ears — A new lease for nine hundred and ninety- 
 nine years — The chai)el deed — Petty persecution. 
 
 The first Wesleyan chapel was erected at Knott's Green, 
 about 1823. Ley ton was then in the Waltham Abbey 
 and St. Alban's Circuit, and under the superintendency 
 of the Rev. Peter 31'Owan.i 
 
 Mrs. Holdstock, who is the oldest Wesleyan resident in 
 Leyton, can recall Listening in this old chapel, as a child, 
 to men like Dr. Adam Clarke and others whose names are 
 still familiar to ^Methodists in all parts of the world. 
 
 The deeds which refer to this property are as follows : 
 
 1. "LEASE of a j^iece of ground at Leyton, Essex, for 
 
 twenty-five years. 
 " Mr. William Pocock to John Garr and others. 
 " Dated 21 May, 1822. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the loithin named 
 William Pocock in the presence of 
 
 " Peter M'Owan,'^ 
 
 Waltham Abbey, Essex. 
 " G. Pocock,^ 
 
 Leyton, Essex." 
 
 > See p. 78. 
 
 ^ Entered the ministry in 1817 ; d. 1870. He was the super- 
 intendent of the Walttiam Abbey and St. Alban's Circuit at the 
 time of this deed. See p. 78. 
 
 ■' George Pocock was a son of William Pocock. He took Orders 
 in the Church of England. 
 
36 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 The trustees are cited as follows : 
 John Carr, Francis Faucett, George Allen, William Dove, 
 Robert Johnson, Edward Day, John Josiah Buttress, 
 Charles Forster, Benjamin Clarke, James Giffin, 
 William Pocock. 
 
 This lease was a division of a lease. When William 
 and Hannah Pocock came to Leyton, they had a little son 
 about seven years of age. This boy, in due course, Mr. 
 Pocock apprenticed to himself as a carpenter. But 
 when he found the youth making good architectural draw- 
 ings, he took him to London, and articled him to Mr. 
 Beazley, at that time architect to the Bank of England. 
 This young architect — William Fuller Pocock — became 
 well known throughout the whole of Methodism. 
 
 In the year 1806 he bought land at Leyton, and let it 
 out in leases. He granted a lease of part of it to his father 
 William, who in turn sub-leased the portion referred to in 
 the above-recited deed for the erection of a chapel. 
 
 In the next document we find William Fuller Pocock, 
 the owner of the land, executing a lease of the chapel 
 site for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, a grant such 
 as his father was unable to enter upon, himself only 
 holding the land for a short term. 
 
 2. "LEASE . . . to have and to hold the said piece or 
 
 parcel of ground . . . from the t-wenty-ffth day of 
 December now last past, far and during, and unto 
 the full end and Term of nine hundred and ninety- 
 nine years. 
 " Mr. W. F. Pocock and another {Robert Fisher) to Mr. 
 
 John Carr and others. 
 "Dated 6 February, 1823. 
 
 ' ' Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the within named 
 William Fuller Pocock in the jiresence of 
 
 "Benjamin Spueekll, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Pocock. 
 "Feederick Wehneet, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Pocock. 
 
The Chapel Deed 37 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered hy the within named 
 Robert Fisher in the presence of 
 " Roger S. Fisher, 
 
 Aldersgate Street, Solicitor. 
 "EicHARD Birch, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. SutcUffe,^- 
 
 2 Earl Street, Blackfriars." 
 
 The trustees are those of the previous deed, and they 
 now undertake to erect a chapel or meeting-house on 
 the said piece or parcel of groiuid "at least twenty feet 
 square in the inside thereof and clear of the walls, and 
 seventeen feet high," etc. 
 
 3. The next document indicates that tlie projected 
 chapel is erected. 
 
 "In the Close Rolls {35th part.) Seventh George IV. 
 
 "DEED OF TRUST. 
 
 "Mr. John Carr and others {Trustees of Layton [sic] 
 
 Cliapel). 
 "Dated 16 March, 1826. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, ami Delivered by the within named 
 John Carr, George Alleii, William, Dove, Edward 
 Day, John Josiah Buttress, Charles Foster (sic), 
 Benjamin Clarke, James Gifjin, ami William Pocock 
 {being first duly stamped) in the presence of 
 " B. Clippingdale, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Sutcliffe, 
 
 22 New Bridge Street. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the tcithin named 
 Robert Johnson in the presence of 
 " Henry Wait Hall, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. I. K. Sutcliffe, 
 22 New Bridge Street, 
 Blackfriars." 
 
 ' A well-known lawyer, and son of the Wesleyan commentator. 
 
38 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 This chapel was very small — not more than half the 
 size of the one now standing at Knott's Green — and the 
 whole structure, within and without, was of the plainest 
 and severest description. 
 
 It would appear that long after the Wesleyans were in 
 possession of their own sanctuary tliey were not wholly 
 free from the annoyance of petty persecution. 
 
 In a Night Watchman's book preserved among the 
 Parish Records there is this : 
 
 "Feb. 16, 1832. Furlong and Brockway found the 
 doors of the Wesleyan Chapel burst open at about h past 
 12 o'clock."! 
 
 This is more likely to have been an act of annoyance 
 than an attempt at robbery. 
 
 ' IvLiiiiedy, His/. Leyton, p. 407. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 Mai'garet Peat — Her will — The legacy withheW — An order in the 
 High Court of Chancery — First trustees of the endoinnent — 
 Vacancies filled — The existing Board of Trustees — Value of 
 the endowment — AVhat we owe to good women. 
 
 I HAVE often been asked for particulars respecting the 
 Endowment Fund of our vSociety. The case is one of 
 great interest, and I present this account confident that 
 it wll receive careful perusal by many of our people. 
 
 Mrs. Margaret Peat, widow, by her will, dated the 
 2nd day of November, 1784, bequeathed as follows : 
 
 " To William Shannon the interest of One Thousand 
 in the four per cents during his life, and at his death 
 the interest to be applied to provide Methodist preachers 
 for Low Leyton, either Jlr. Wesley, or the Tabernacle ' 
 ones, which the people may like best."- The testatrix 
 appointed Thomas Greenwood, James Rutherford, and 
 the above-named William Shannon executors of her will. 
 James Rutherford died in Januarj', 1800; William 
 Shannon died in the month of June, 1804 ; and the 
 third executor — Thomas Greenwood — died in or about 
 the month of October, 1810. But the will of Margaret 
 Peat did not take effect till nearly twenty years later 
 than the last-named event. The legacy was withheld by 
 the executors on the plea of " uncertainty," and for this 
 reason alone. The gift became secured to the Wesleyan 
 
 ' Preachers sent out by George Whitefield. Whitefield's head- 
 quarters, known as the Tabernacle, were in Moorfields, and 
 Tottenham Court Road. 
 
 - The Wesleyans and Tabernacle people for some time occupied 
 the same building. See p. 29. 
 
40 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 Society by an order pronounced in the High Court of 
 Chancery, 4th August, 1829. 
 
 An account of the proceedings leading up to this 
 order, prepared by one of the lawyers who conducted 
 the case for the Wesleyans, has come into my hands. It 
 is a most interesting document, and as it is an excellent 
 and judicious statement of the case, I will produce it 
 verhafim in the next chapter. I do this the more readily 
 because the sworn evidence of the witnesses contains 
 valuable information concerning the origin of Wesleyanism 
 here. The first trustees of this endowment were Jolm 
 Carr, John Josiah Buttress, Edward Sells, and Eichard 
 Gray, being appointed by the Court. 
 
 According to the deeds of the trust, the Board of 
 Trustees was renewed by an indenture dated 30th March, 
 1855, when the following became associated as trustees : 
 John Carr, John Yanner, James Duncan, and John 
 Chubb. 
 
 We have here some of the best known names of 
 Methodism in the last generation. This indenture 
 recites at length the history of the gift, and the decree 
 of the High C'ourt of Chancery. 
 
 By the year 1869, John Carr and John Vanner had 
 departed this life, and it devolved upon James Duncan 
 and John Chubb to nominate new trustees to fill up the 
 vacancies. A third vacancy was caused by James Duncan 
 being desirous of retiring from his position as trustee. 
 The following were nominated, and then approved by the 
 Rev. F. J. -Jobson, D.D., President of the Conference : 
 William Vanner, W. O. Smith, and Charles J. Thomas, 
 who, together with John Chubb, formed the new board. 
 
 The only change which has occurred since this appoint- 
 ment is the death of Mr. Chubb. The endowment con- 
 sists of £1333 14s. lOd in the 3 per cent consols. 
 
 It is a noteworthy fact that the inauguration of 
 Wesleyanism here, and its endowment too, are honours 
 which are wholly claimed by ladies — Miss Bosanquet, 
 Mrs. Tilt, and Mrs. Peat. To this honourable list may 
 be added the name of Mrs. William Pocock, for when 
 
What we owe to Good Women 4 1 
 
 her husband proposed to reside in Leyton, she stipulated 
 as a condition of her leaving London for this place, that 
 her husband should do all in his po\yer to foster i 
 iMethodism here.- Does not this call to remembrance that 
 during the course of His earthly ministry Christ was often 
 attended by a band of holy women ? And are we not 
 again reminded that the first convert of Christianity in 
 Europe was Lydia, and that she afforded the infant 
 Church an asylum in her home 1 There are those who 
 would make it a reproach to the Church that she gathers 
 the tcomen together. In a striking passage, in his 
 Peoj^le's Bible, Dr. Joseph Parker answers this con- 
 temptible sneer : — 
 
 " Have men forsaken religion and left the women to 
 keep it up? To some extent. Is it not the mocker's 
 taunt that ' women keep up the Church'? It maybe; 
 but it is a fool's gibe. The woman does keep up the 
 Church — God bless her ! But she keeps up more. 
 thou blatant, mocking fool, to taunt the very saviour of 
 society ! Sweet, beauteous, noble woman ! Thou unclean 
 tongue ! She fines keep up the Church, but she also 
 keeps up the love of the world, the patience of the world ; 
 the home that covers your unworthy head, mocker, fool, 
 hard of heart ' Yes, she keeps it all up. There be some 
 who, with self-inflation that would be damnable, if it 
 
 ' My authoi'ity says "to commeuco." This cannot be correct. 
 Methodism vas " commenced" in the High Street nearly t^venty 
 years before the Pococks came. See p. 27. 
 
 - Leyton is not the only society in London indebted to the 
 unique service of its women. Tyernian, in his Life, and Timfs of 
 Wesley, vol. iii., p. 116, narrates : ''For many a year, Methodism at 
 Poplar had a struggle for existence, and often w as Wesley importuned 
 to give up the preaching there ; liut his constant answer was, ' Does 
 the old \vomau [Mrs. Clippingdale] who sits in the corner of the 
 long pew still attend?' 'Oh, yes,' was the reply; 'she never 
 misses.' 'Then for her sake keep going,' was Wesley's rejoinder. 
 The venerable woman, who was thus the means of perpetuating 
 Methodist preaching at Poplar, was a native of Swallwell, near 
 Newcastle, and, at twelve years of age, received her first society 
 ticket, in 1745, from the hands of Wesley. Four years later, she 
 came to London, and continued a faithful Methodist for above 
 seventy years." See also Methodist Macjazinc, 1S35, p. 494. 
 
 6 
 
42 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 were not contemptible, say that rcomeii fill our churches 
 now ; the men have given them all up. Yes, but only in 
 the same proportion in which they have given up love, 
 purity, patience, home ! I hardly forgive myself for the 
 momentary anger which I spent on the contemptible 
 mocker." ^ 
 
 Wesleyanism in Leyton is still blessed with good 
 women, eager for any and every service. May the spirit 
 of Mary Bosanquet, Mrs. Tilt, ^Iargaret Peat, and Hannah 
 Pocock ever abide upon them, and also upon the daughters 
 who shall succeed them ! 
 
 ' People's Eiblr, Acts of the Apostles, ch. xvi. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Letter l)y John Carr — Edwaid Sells initiates tlio cause in Chancery 
 — United action of the Wesleyans and Tabernacle friends — 
 Difficulties settled at last — Matilda Salisbury and her con- 
 versations with Margaret Peat — Rev. Georye AVhitfield — Kev. 
 Henry Moore — Rev. Thomas Ludlam — Edward Sells speats 
 for his friends — The lawyer gives evidence — Trusts of the 
 deed. 
 
 The statement uf tlie proceedings in tlie Higli Court of 
 Chancery, whicli I described, in the last chapter, as 
 having been drawn up by a lawyer, intimately acquainted 
 with the whole matter, was evidently prepared at the 
 wish of the Eev. Eichard Watson, and intended for 
 publication. This is evident from a letter, written by 
 Mr. John Carr, and attached to the account. Mr. Can's 
 letter is as follows : 
 
 "My dear Sir, — l>y the inclosed letter from Mr. 
 Brooks you will find he has very kindly done more than 
 I asked, for instead of furnishing me with undigested 
 documents relating to the Leyton Legacy, a statement of 
 the whole affair has been prepared (I suspect by himself), 
 in such a form as to require but little alteration, if any, 
 before publication. It occurs to mc that it may be a 
 question whether or no the various affidavits should be 
 printed. This you will easily decide upon ; but as some 
 introductory matter may be required, I would jsropose a 
 few general references to the past as follows : ' We have 
 received the following account of the proceedings relating 
 to Mrs. Peat's legacy of £1000, left by Will, for the 
 purpose of supplying Low Leyton, in the County of 
 Essex, with Wesleyan Methodist ])reachers. This legacy 
 
44 Wesleyan Methodism in Ley ton 
 
 has remained in the hands of the surviving executor of 
 Mrs. Peat and his representatives from the year 1785, 
 notwithstanding repeated applications from Mr. Pocock, 
 and other individuals connected with the neighbourhood, 
 owing to the difficulty of substantiating the claim of our 
 Society in preference to that connected with the Taber- 
 nacle, which appeared by the obscure ■wording of the 
 bequest to be equally the object of Mrs. Peat's bounty. 
 These difficulties were at length overcome by the friendly 
 and Christian spirit of the Rev. Mr. Collinson,' of Wal- 
 thamstow, Pastor of the Tabernacle Society in Low 
 Leyton, aided by a corresponding feeling on the part of 
 — Wilkes, Esq., and other gentlemen connected witli 
 that society, who consented to a joint application to the 
 Court of Chancery, on an understanding that the Society 
 should receive one-third, and the Wesleyan Methodist 
 Society two-thirds of the original bequest and its accumu- 
 lations. The able manner in which Messrs. Brooks, 
 Grane & Cooper of John Street, Bedford Row, have 
 conducted this affair to its successful and speedy issue, is 
 highly creditable to them as professional men.' — I remain, 
 dear sir, yours sincerely, John Caur. 
 
 " Sewakdstone, 2lst October, 1830." 
 
 The letter is directed to 
 
 "Rev. R. Watson, 
 
 City Road." 
 
 The following is the account by lawyer Brooks : 
 
 " SUMMARY STATEMENT OF FACTS as to a bequest 
 
 in favour of the Wesleyan and Tabernacle Societies ; 
 
 and of certain Proceedings in Chancery establishing 
 
 the Gift. 
 
 "Mrs. Margaret Peat, who died in the month of May, 
 
 1785, made a Will dated the 2nd of November of the 
 
 l^revious year ; by which she directed the interest of 
 
 ' The Rev. George Collinson. He was also principal of a private 
 academy for divinity students at Hackney. 
 
Summary Statement of Facts 45 
 
 £1000 — 4 per cent Bank Annuities — tu be paid to one 
 ^\'ilIiam Shannon for liis life, and at his death she 
 directed ' the interest to be applied to jjrovide Methodist 
 preachers for Low Layton either Mr. Wesley or the 
 Tabernacle ones, which the people may like best. 
 Although William Shannon died so far back as June, 
 1 804, the ultimate object of Mrs. Peat's bequest was not 
 accomplished until the month of August, 1829, when 
 the Gift was established by a Decree of the Court of 
 Chancery, which was obtained under the following 
 circumstances : 
 
 " Edward Sells, Esquire, a benevolent gentleman 
 resident at Walthamstow, had acquired the knowledge 
 of the provision contained in Mrs. Peat's will, and that 
 several attempts had been made to recover the legacy, but 
 which had all failed ; and in the early part of the year 
 1827, he mentioned the matter to Messrs. Brooks, Grane 
 & Cooper (who liad usually been employed as his 
 solicitors) to whom he communicated the several facts 
 of which he was in possession, and obtained their 
 opinion npon the subject : and upon consulting several 
 members of the Wesleyan Society, it was determined to 
 act under their advice by enforcing payment of the 
 legacy. 
 
 " Upon the requisite enquiries being made, it was 
 ascertamed that the whole of the executors originally 
 appointed of Mrs. Peat's will had died ; and that she 
 was then legally represented by three persons (Elizabeth 
 Wedd, Susannah (greenwood, and Margaret Eedfern)i 
 who were the executrixes of Elizabeth Greenwood, the 
 Widow and Executrix of Thomas Greenwood, who was 
 Mrs. Peat's surviving Executor. The legacy in the 
 interval having accumulated by the investment of 
 
 1 By his will Thomas Greenwood apiiointed liis wife, Elizabeth 
 Greenwood, executrix, and she became the legal personal repre- 
 sentative of Margaret Peat. Elizabetli Greenwood died in 
 November, 1823, and by her will, dated 14th July, 1817, ajipointed 
 Elizabeth Wedd, Susannah Greenwood, and JIargaret Kedl'ern 
 her executrixes, who thereby became the legal persoual representa- 
 tives of Margaret Peat. 
 
46 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 dividends from time to time, and forming a fund con- 
 sisting of £2066 9s. 6d. 3| per cents, and £322 5s. 6d. 
 new 4 per cents. 
 
 "Applications were immediately made to Mrs. Peat's 
 representatives, on belialf of the Wesleyan Society at 
 Layton, to have the Stock transferred for their benefit, 
 but which the representatives declined to do, or to act 
 at all in the matter, except under the direction of a 
 Court of Equity. They had got a notion, in which they 
 were not singular, that the bequest was void for un- 
 certainty. But under legal advice, the sanction of the 
 Attorney-General was obtained to the filling of an In- 
 formation calling upon the Court of Chancery to establish 
 the legacy in favour of the Wesleyan Society. This In- 
 formation, in which Messrs. John Carr, Francis Fawcet(ste), 
 George Allen, William Dove, Eobert Johnson, Edward 
 Day, John Josiah Buttress, Charles Forster, Benjamin 
 Clarke, James Giffin, and William Pocock, who were 
 Trustees of Low Layton Chapel, sustained the character 
 of Eelators on behalf of the Society, was filed in 
 February, 1827, against the representatives of Mrs. Peat 
 before named, and also against the Solicitor-General 
 (wlio became a necessary party in order to sustain two 
 material questions which arose upon the will) : viz. first, 
 whether in point of law the bequest was really void for 
 uncertainty, and therefore whether the Crown was entitled 
 in the absence of next of kin ; and seeondli/ with refer- 
 ence to the proportion to which the Tabernacle Society 
 might be considered entitled. 
 
 " Upon the cause coming on for original hearing on 
 19th June, 1828, a decree was made by the Master of 
 the Kolls, by whicli it was referred to Mr. Stratford (one 
 of the Masters of the Court) to approve of a proper 
 scheme for the application of the legacy and accumula- 
 tions ; and that the Relators on behalf of tlie Society of 
 Wesleyan INIetliodists, and the Minister of the congrega- 
 tion of Dissenters originating from or connected with the 
 Tabernacle preachers at Layton, on behalf of the last- 
 named Dissenters, should be at liberty to attend the said 
 
Summary Statement of Facts 47 
 
 Master thereon, and to lay proposals before him for that 
 purpose ; and that the Master was to state such scheme, 
 with his opinion thereon, to the Court. 
 
 " In pursuance of this ilecree, proposals were laid 
 before the Master by each party, upon the basis of an 
 arrangement which had been come to between the 
 Wesleyan and Tabernacle Societies, for the purpose of 
 avoiding all litigation between them upon the subject; 
 by which in the result it was proposed that the Wesleyan 
 Society should take two third parts of the clear fund 
 arising from the legacy after the payment of all expenses 
 attendant upon the proceedings ; and that the other 
 Society should take the remaining third part, each 
 party proposing at the same time that the proportions 
 agreed upon should be properly vested in responsible 
 trustees. 
 
 "The object of the proposal on behalf of the Weslej'an 
 Society was to satisfy the Master that Wesleyan 
 Methodist preachers were employed at Low Layton at 
 or about the time when Mrs. Peat made her will, and 
 that such Society had subsequently been matured and 
 established with a regular chapel and congregation, and 
 particularlj' that it was known to be the expressed wish 
 of Mrs. Peat that Mr. Wesley's preachers should partake 
 of her bountj'. 
 
 " For this purpose, the evidence laid before the Master 
 consisted of the Low Layton Trust Deed, with the pro- 
 visions of Mr. Wesley's Deed of ■28th February, 1784, 
 therein referred to, the depositions of Matilda Salisbury, 
 the Rev. George Whitfield, Edward Sells, Esq., the Rev. 
 Henry Moore, and also an Affidavit of the Rev. Thomas 
 Ludlam. It was considered that this evidence satisfac- 
 torily made out the propositions submitted to the Master 
 on behalf of the Wesleyan Society ; and it also stated 
 the mode in which the preachers had been accustomed to 
 be appointed and were remunerated. The Master how- 
 ever refused to entertain the proposals ; 
 
 "In tha first place considering that the Court could not 
 act upon the will, so far as related to this bequest, 
 
48 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 upon the ground of the uncertainty arising from the 
 ambiguous expression ' which tlie people may like 
 best ' ; and the impossibility, as he supposed, of 
 ascertaining at all times whom they liked best ; 
 "Secondly, because the proposal was to apply the Interest 
 in supporting preachers 'to preach no other Doctrines 
 than those which are contained in certain Notes upon 
 the Xew Testament and the first four volumes of 
 Sermons published by Mr. AVesley,' doctrines whicli 
 the Master considered the law of the land had not 
 recognised ; and 
 "Thirdly, that as Mrs. Peat's will had bequeathed the 
 legacy to mip Society or the other, it was not com- 
 petent for the parties to agree to a division of the 
 fund. 
 " Under these circumstances the Master made an 
 adverse report to the Court, dated the 8th of May, 1829, 
 by which, after stating the proposals which had been so 
 submitted to him, he certified that he did not think 
 himself authorised to approve of them. 
 
 "The obstacle thus thrown in the way of the parties 
 by the Master's report was calculated to interpose very 
 considerable difficulty in the attainment of their object ; 
 and upon mature consideration of all the circumstances, 
 it was considered advisable immediately to lay the whole 
 matter before the Court itself, and by that means to 
 obtain if possible an approval of the plan without seeking 
 to get the matter referred back again to the discretion of 
 the Master, which is the course usually pursued whenever 
 the Master's decisions are disap]iroved by the Court. 
 
 " The proceedings which had taken place were 
 accordingly the subject of a very special Petition, which 
 came on for hearing before the Vice-Chancellor on the 
 30th of May, 1829 ; when, after an attentive considera- 
 tion of the subject, the Court made an order, by which 
 it was declared that the proposals mentioned in the 
 Master's report ' were fit and proper to be carried into 
 effect,' and certain consequential formal directions were 
 then given that the Master should approve of proper 
 
Summary Statement of Facts 49 
 
 persons to be appointed Trustees of the respecti\'e pro- 
 portions of the fund, as agreed upon. 
 
 " It had become requisite to lay another proposal before 
 the Master, by which Messrs. Sells, Gray, Carr, and 
 Buttress were proposed as fit and proper persons to fill 
 the office of Trustees on behalf of the Wesleyan proportion 
 of the bequest. Here, however, a difficulty again arose in 
 the Master's Office, and the Master refused to approve of 
 the proposed Trustees, because they were not inhabitants 
 of Low Layton, although the fact of their respectability 
 was abundantly verified (as to Messrs. Carr, Buttress, 
 and Gray, by Mr. Sells' Affidavit, which stated cogent 
 reasons why they ought to bo appointed ; and as to Mr. 
 Sells himself, by the Affidavit of the Solicitor who con- 
 ducted the proceedings for the Society, who abundantly 
 testified as to the fitness of that gentleman). 
 
 " In the ordinary course of proceeding, a further refer- 
 ence to the Master must have been obtained (upon his 
 approval of Trustees), in order that he might also settle 
 the proper Deeds for vesting the legacy in such Trustees ; 
 but finding that difficulties were interisosed by the 
 Master in every step taken before him on the subject, in 
 consequence of the strong opinions which he entertained 
 against the claim altogether, it was determined, if possible, 
 to procure an order from the Court, by which the Trustees 
 thus proposed should be adopted, and the form of a Deed 
 approved by the Court instanter ; without again resorting 
 to the Master's Office, — and an application was accord- 
 ingly made, which siicceeded, although no precedent 
 could be found for the Court's proceeding in that 
 summary way in such cases. The Vice-Chancellor 
 however, most considerately and honourably declared, 
 that he thought the parties ought not to be further 
 impeded in obtaining their just object. 
 
 "The final order made upon such application, by 
 which the Trustees and Deeds were adopted, and the 
 Accountant-General directed to divide and transfer the 
 Stock, was pronounced on the 4th of August, 1829 ; and 
 the Trust Deed was executed shortly afterwards. 
 
 7 
 
50 Wesleyan Methodism in Leytoii 
 
 "xVPPEKDIX. 
 
 ' Deposition of Matilda Salisbury — Says that she did 
 well know Margaret Peat, late of Bishopsgate Street, 
 in the Parish of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate 
 "Widow deceased, and whom she knew for three 
 years and upwards before her death, and says that 
 some time about two years before the death of the 
 said Margaret Peat, the said Margaret Peat called 
 on her at her house at Low Laytoii to accompany 
 her to the Wesleyan Chapel at Low Laytou afore- 
 said, where she had for a great many years attended 
 divine service there, performed by Jlinisters of the 
 Wesleyan Methodists' connection ; and where the 
 ."aid ^Margaret Peat attended also in the summer 
 seasons. And says that Deponent, when said 
 Margaret Peat so called on her as aforesaid, said to 
 her the said Margaret Peat as follows : that is to 
 say ' We shall not have this chapel long.' And 
 said Margaret Peat, in reply thereto, said ' Don't 
 let that fret you. I will take care to leave enough to 
 support the chapel with good preachers as long as Mr. 
 Wesley can send one.' And she says that Deponent 
 did many times afterwards tell said Margaret Peat to 
 remember her promise (meaning the promise of her 
 said Margaret Peat herein before stated) and the 
 said Margaret Peat always (in answer thereto) said, 
 ' I will, never fear. I will not forget it.' But said 
 ^largaret Peat never did in the hearing of Deponent, 
 say what Legacy she would by her will give, or what 
 bequest she would make to any Sect or Society of 
 Dissenters save as aforesaid. Says that she does 
 know and has for near 53 years last past 
 known Low Layton, she Deponent having all that 
 time lived and resided there. And says that there 
 is now a Sect or Society called the Wesleyan Metho- 
 dists existing at Low Layton aforesaid, and which 
 is the only religious Sect or Society existing there. 
 And that there is not now any Sect or Society called 
 
The Rev. George Whitfield's Deposition 5 1 
 
 the Tabenificle, or by any other similar name exist- 
 ing at Low Layton aforesaid. And says that the 
 said Sect or Society called the Wesleyan IMethodists 
 has existed at Low Layton aforesaid ever since the 
 year 1777 or thereabout. And that Preachers of 
 such last mentioned Sect or Society have been 
 accustomed on every Sunday during the said last 
 mentioned period to perform religious service in 
 Low Layton aforesaid, except once or twice, when 
 the preacher may have been unavoidably prevented 
 attending there, and on the occasion of the preacher's 
 attending as aforesaid, there has been preaching by 
 such said preachers to said Society of Methodists at 
 Low Layton. Says that said last mentioned Sect or 
 Society has a chapel for religious worship in Low 
 Layton aforesaid, and that such chapel was built in 
 the year 1823 at a certain place between Knight's 
 Green and Knott's Green in Low Layton aforesaid 
 and the same has existed ever since. Says that 
 Low Layton aforesaid is now and has been ever 
 since the year 1777 or thereabouts, included in the 
 circuit or list of places visited by the preachers of 
 said Sect or Society of Wesleyan Jlethodists. 
 
 " The Rev. George Whitfield ^ — Says that he does 
 know and is well acquainted with, and has for near 
 50 years last past known and been well acquainted 
 with. Low Layton in the County of Essex. Says 
 he does know that there does now exist and has 
 existed ever since Deponent has known Low Layton 
 aforesaid, a Sect or Society called the Wesleyan 
 Methodists at Low Layton aforesaid. And 
 Deponent never knew of any other religious Sect or 
 Society being or existing there. Says that he does 
 know and is acquainted with said Sect or Society 
 called the Wesleyan Jlethodists at Low Layton 
 aforesaid, he Deponent ha\-ing many times during 
 
 1 A MethoJist preacher who entered the work in 1785, and died 
 in 1832 — not the great evangelist. 
 
52 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 the period aforesaid preached to such Society at Low 
 Layton. And says that there is not now existing at 
 Low Layton aforesaid (to the knowledge of Deponent 
 or as he ever heard or beheved) any Sect or Society 
 called the Tabernacle or by any similar name. Says 
 that preachers of said Sect or Society called the 
 Wesleyan Methodists have for the space of near 
 50 years (within the knowledge of Deponent) been 
 accustomed to perform religious service, and to 
 preach in Low Layton aforesaid. And have so 
 done once every Sabbath day, and generally on one 
 other day in the week (as Deponent believes) unless 
 unavoidably prevented. Says that said last-men- 
 tioned Sect or Society has a chapel for religious 
 worship in Low Layton aforesaid, which was built 
 some years since ; but when in particular Deponent 
 does not now recollect with certainty. And says 
 that Low Layton aforesaid is, and has been ever 
 since Deponent has known the same, included in 
 the Circuit or List of the places visited by the 
 preachers of the said Sect or Society called the 
 Wesleyan Methodists. 
 
 "Edwaed Sells, Esquire — Says that he does well know 
 Low Layton and has known the same from about 
 the year 1775, and says that he does know that 
 there are two religious Sects or Societies at present 
 existing within the parish of Low Layton, one of 
 which is a Sect or Society called the Wesleyan 
 Methodists, and which was in existence at Low 
 Layton in the year 1775, and has been so ever 
 since that time. Says that the other of the said 
 Sects or Societies is at Laytonstone (a hamlet within 
 said parish of Low Layton), and is as Deponent 
 believes of the Independent or of ' the Tabernacle ' 
 denomination ; but of which of them Deponent does 
 not know, nor does he know how long the same has 
 existed in Laytonstone aforesaid. Says he knows 
 that preachers of said Sect or Society called the 
 
The Rev. Henry Moore's Deposition 53 
 
 Wesleyan Methodists have been accustomed ever 
 since said year 1775, to perform religious worship 
 or to preacli in Low Layton aforesaid ; and have so 
 done every Sunday and on one other day in the 
 week during that period, as Deponent believes. 
 Says that said Sect or Society called ' the Wesleyan ' 
 has a Chapel for religious worship in Low Layton 
 aforesaid, and which lias existed for some years 
 since said year 1775, but for how long Deponent 
 does not now recollect. And said other Sect or 
 Society has a Chapel at Laytonstone aforesaid which 
 has not (as Deponent best recollects) been built more 
 than two years. 
 
 " The Eev. Henry Mooke ' — Says that he does know 
 Low Layton, and has known the same for 43 
 years last past. Says that he is acquainted with 
 only one religious Sect or Society called the Wesleyan 
 Methodists, and he may have lieard but does not of 
 his own knowledge know that tliere was a Sect or 
 Society called the Tabernacle at Low Layton afore- 
 said or near thereto. And he does not know of any 
 other religious Sect or Society than as aforesaid now 
 existing there. Says that said religious Sect or 
 Society called the Wesleyan Methodists, has to 
 the knowledge of the Deponent existed at Low 
 Layton aforesaid for 43 years last past, and that 
 during that period preachers of that Sect or Society 
 have been accustomed to preach in Low Layton 
 aforesaid on Sundays generally, and Deponent has 
 himself jireached there on Sundays, he being a 
 preacher in that connection. Says he believes that 
 said religious Sect or Society called the Wesleyan 
 Methodists did exist at Low Layton aforesaid 
 for some years prior to said period of 43 years, 
 and that preachers of such Sect or Society were 
 accustomed to preach there prior to that period. 
 
 ' The Editor of Mrs. Mary Fletcher's letters ; entered ministry 
 1779, died 1844. He was President in 1804 and again in 1823. 
 
54 Wesleyan Methodism in Ley ton 
 
 And that the preachers of the same Sect or Society 
 have been accustomed during the whole of the time 
 aforesaid to preach there on other days besides 
 Sundays, as Deponent also believes, and he Deponent 
 has himself occasionally preached there on other 
 days besides Sundays. Says that said Sect or Society 
 called the Wesleyan Methodists have a chapel for 
 religious worship in Low Layton aforesaid, and that 
 such chapel was built about two or three years ^ and 
 has existed ever since, and which chapel this De- 
 ponent opened as being Chairman of the District. 
 Says that Low Layton is, and has been for 43 
 years last past, included in the Circuit or List of 
 places visited by the preachers of said Sect or 
 Society called the Wesleyan Methodists. 
 
 " Affidavit of Rev. Thomas Luulaji - of Wellingborough 
 in the County of Northampton who niaketh oath 
 and saith that he was on or about the 1st day of 
 August in the year 1826, appointed by the confer- 
 ence of the people commonly called Wesleyan 
 Methodists held in Liverpool from July 26th to 
 August 9th, to act and officiate as the regular 
 Methodist Minister for Low Layton in the parish 
 of Low Layton in the county of Essex. And this 
 Deponent saith he accordingly entered ujjon his 
 duties as aforesaid, and continued to perform them, 
 from the time of the said conference which was held 
 at Liverpool, until the time of the conference which 
 was held in London in the year 1828, when he was 
 removed by the said last mentioned conference to 
 his present station at Wellingborough aforesaid. 
 And this Deponent saith that the preachers of the 
 Sect of the Wesleyan Methodists are nominated 
 and set apart for preaching in certain districts by 
 
 1 The deed of the chapel is dated 16tli March, 1826. Henry 
 Moore was at the time sujierintendent of Londou North Circuit 
 (City Road). 
 
 - Ludlara did uot continue in connexion witli the Conference. 
 
Affidavit of Edward Sells, Esquire 55 
 
 the Wesleyan conference for the time being, accord- 
 ing to the provisions of a certain Deed Poll or 
 instrument bearing date the 28th day of February, 
 1784, under the hand and seal of the late Rev. John 
 Wesley ; and which Deed Poll was as this Deponent 
 believes duly enrolled in the High Court of Chancery. 
 And this Deponent further saith that the persons 
 so .set apart are wholly under the control of the said 
 conference, by whom they are first appointed to 
 preach in certain districts, and subsequently removed 
 to other districts, generally at the expiration of three 
 years or thereabouts, at the pleasure of the said con- 
 ference. And this Deponent saith that the preacher 
 for the time being of the Wesleyan Chapel or Meet- 
 ing-house in Low Layton aforesaid usually receives 
 from the Stewards thereof a Stipend or Salary for his 
 services as such preacher, which is supplied by an 
 income at present arising from periodical and other 
 collections in the said chapel ; and which income 
 is applied as well towards the support of the said 
 preacher, as in payment of the other outgoings and 
 expenses in and about the said chapel. 
 
 'Affidavit of Edward Sells, Esquire — Saith that he 
 knows and is well acquainted with said John Carr, 
 John Josiah Buttress, and Richard Gray ; and that 
 they are respectively members of the said Society of 
 Wesleyan Jlethodists, and saith that the said several 
 persons are persons of known credit, wealth, and 
 respectability ; and being such members as aforesaid, 
 they have been appointed, together with the said 
 Deponent, by the said Relators, in full concurrence 
 with the wishes of the said Society, to be proposed 
 for Trustees of the said Wesleyan portion of the said 
 fund, as the same is established and apportioned by 
 the Court ; in preference to, and exclusive of all 
 other persons. And that the said John Carr, 
 Josiah Buttress, and Richard Gray are, in the best 
 and utmost of the said Deponent's judgment and 
 
56 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 belief, the most fit and proper persons to be such 
 Trustees as aforesaid. And the said Deponent further 
 saith that he well knows the parish of Low Layton 
 and the persons residing therein, he the said Deponent 
 having known and lived in the said parish for very 
 many years ; although his house is not exactly 
 within the said parish, but is in Walthamstow, 
 which is a parish very near to it. And the said 
 Edward Sells saith, that there are not within the 
 said parish, inhabitants connected with it, who 
 either in respect to wealth, respectability of char- 
 acter, habits of business, or other qualifications, are 
 so fit and proper persons, or nearly so fit to be 
 appointed Trustees as aforesaid, as the said persons 
 are who have been nominated as aforesaid, or who 
 are willing to take upon themselves the office of such 
 Trustees as aforesaid, and on the contrary, in the 
 best and utmost of the said Deponent's judgment 
 and belief, there are not fit and proper persons 
 being inhabitants of the said parish and Wesleyan 
 Methodists, or connected with the said Society, who 
 are fit and proper to be appointed as aforesaid. 
 And the said Deponent saith that he occasionally 
 attends divine service in the chapel of the said 
 Society at Low Layton aforesaid ; and hath been for 
 many years and is well acquainted with the manage- 
 ment and concerns of the said Society, and also with 
 the fund in question in this cause, and he the said 
 Deponent having been frequently and earnestly 
 required by the Petitioners to become one of the 
 Trustees of the said two third parts of the said 
 stocks or funds, he is willing to act in the execution 
 of the said Trusts thereof with the said several other 
 persons, if this Court shall think fit to appoint them 
 and him Co-trustees as aforesaid, but not otherwise. 
 
 " Affidavit of James Sheffield Brooks, Gentleman — 
 Saith that he has for ten years and upwards last 
 past known and been well acquainted with the said 
 
Trusts of the Deed 57 
 
 Edward Sells, Esq., and that the said Edward Sells 
 is a person of independent fortune, great respecta- 
 bility of character, and considerable experience in 
 matters of business, and also from his knowledge of 
 the parish of Low Layton and his acquaintance with 
 the concerns of the Society there called Wesleyan 
 Methodists, as well as from other qualifications, he, 
 the said Edward Sells, in the best and utmost of the 
 said Deponent's judgment and belief is a very fit and 
 proper person to be appointed one of the Trustees of 
 the said stocks or fimds ; and that the discovery of 
 the said bequest and fund, the institution of the 
 proceedings by which the Court has taken the said 
 funds from the hands of persons who had got it 
 without applying it to the Testatrix's bequest, and 
 by which it was decreed and apportioned in this 
 suit, are almost entirely owing to the exertions of the 
 said Edward Sells, and that the said Wesleyan Society 
 are very anxious that he should be one of the Trustees 
 for applying the same under the order of this Coxirt. 
 And as to all the several other persons, who on 
 the part of the said Society have been proposed to 
 be Trustees of the said respective funds, the said 
 Deponent saith that from his long acquaintance with 
 the said proceedings, and from general reputation 
 concerning the said parties, as well as from his 
 personal knowledge, the said Deponent in the best 
 and utmost of his knowledge and belief, considers 
 them most fit and proper persons to be entrusted 
 with the application of the said several funds, and 
 doth not believe that there is in the parish of Low 
 Layton persons who are members of the said several 
 Societies, who ought to be so entrusted. 
 
 " Trusts of the Deed. 
 
 'The interest of the Stock (£1333 I4s. lOd. Bank 3 per 
 
 cent. Consolidated Annuities) to be received by 
 
 the Trustees, and to be paid to the person who shall 
 
 for the time being be the preacher of the Wesleyan 
 
58 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 Chapel at Low Layton, on production by him of a 
 Certificate or note in writing of his being such 
 preacher signed by the President for the time being 
 of the Wesleyan Conference, as established by the 
 Deed Poll of the 28th February, 1784. If the 
 preacher shall die or cease to act as sucli during any 
 current half year, and before the dividends shall 
 have accrued and become payable, then the Trustees 
 are to pay him (or his personal representative as the 
 case may be) such proportion of the dividends as the 
 proportion of time during the current half year in 
 which he shall have continued his office, shall bear 
 to the whole current half year. 
 
 " If the Trustees shall be reduced to two, or less than two, 
 who shall be willing and capable to act as such ; 
 then the survivors shall by Deed or writing under 
 their or his hands, to be indorsed on the Trust Deed, 
 appoint other proper persons being members of the 
 Wesleyan Society, and not preachers therein, to be 
 new Trustees ; so that every such nomination be 
 approved of in writing by the President of the 
 Conference as established by the Deed of 1784 ; and 
 upon such appointment, the Stock is to be transferred 
 into the names of the new Trustees, who are to 
 subscribe a memorandum in writing, to be indorsed 
 on the Trust Deed, acknowledging their acceptance of 
 the Trust, and if requested shall execute a Declaration 
 of Trust thereof. 
 
 " The Trustees to be reimbursed all charges and ex- 
 penses which they may incur in the execution of 
 the Trusts." 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 The second chapel — The site enlarged — The Trust renewed — 
 The chapel placed on the Model Deed. 
 
 The building now standing at Knott's Green was erected 
 in 1843, the architect being Mr. William Wilhner 
 Pocock, son of William Fuller Pocock. 
 
 The memorial-stone was laid by Thomas Farmer, Esq., 
 the Rev. Thomas Martin i assisting in the ceremony. The 
 Rev. F. .J. Jobson, D.D., conducted the opening service on 
 the 26th of June, delivering a sermon on the transfigura- 
 tion of our Lord. 
 
 Leyton was at this time the head of an independent 
 circuit, the Rev. Robert Colman being the super- 
 intendent. - 
 
 Upon the erection of this chapel it was necessary to 
 add to the site. The lease mentions " the chapel or 
 meeting-house which has been partly erected on the said 
 ground," showing that the new chapel extended beyond 
 the original site. This additional piece of ground 
 embraced the present vacant triangular plot on the 
 south side. 
 
 The deed of this enlargement of the site is endorsed : 
 
 "LEASE of a piece of ground at Knott's Green, Low 
 Leyton, in the County of Essex for a term of 999 
 years, . . . from Christmas Day, 1822, for and 
 during, and unto the full End and Term, etc. 
 
 ' Entered the ministry 1804 ; d. 1866. 
 = Entered the ministry 1829 ; d. 1871. 
 
6o Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 " W. F. Pococlc, Esqre. to the Revd. R. Colman. 
 "Dated December IQth, 1844. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the loithin named 
 William Fuller Focoek in the preseiice of 
 
 " Samuel Archbutt, Solr. 
 " Jno. Robt. Martin, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Archbutt, Solr. 
 
 9 Sloane Square Clielsea." 
 
 On the erection of the chapel the trust was renewed, 
 according to the terms of the lease, an event which 
 explains the two following parchments : 
 
 "ASSIGNMENT of a piece of Ground, Chapel, and 
 premises, situate at Loio Leyton, in the county of 
 Essex. In trust, 
 
 " Mr. John Carr and others, to the Revd. Robert Colman. 
 "Dated December lOth, 1844. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, by the within 7iamed 
 Francis Faucett, Edward Day, John Josiah Buttress, 
 Benjamin Clarke, James Giffen (sic), and Robert 
 Colman {the several erasures, interlineations, and altera- 
 tions liaving been first made therein) in the presence of 
 
 " Jno. Eobt. Martin, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Archbutt, Solr. 
 9 Sloane Square 
 
 ' Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the within named John 
 Carr, Robert Johnson, and Charles Forster in the 
 preseiice of 
 
 " Alexander Fredk. Ellis, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Archbutt, Solr. 
 9 Sloane Square 
 
 Chelsea " 
 
knott's gkeen wesleyan chapel (built 1843). 
 
Assignment of Ground and Chapel 63 
 
 "ASSIGNMENT of Leasehold Ground, Chapel, and 
 Premises at Knott's Green, Lotv Leijton, Essex. Jn 
 trust. 
 "The Revd. R. Colman to Mr. Edward Day arid others. 
 "Dated December Uth, 1844. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered hy the loitMn named 
 Samuel Archbutt in the presence of 
 
 " Alexander Fredk. Ellis, 
 
 Clerk to Samuel Archbutt, Solr. 
 9 Sloane Square 
 
 Chelsea. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the icithin named 
 Noah Martin, George Clarke, William Marshall, 
 William Munt, John Casborn, John Brooks Hill, 
 and George Knott in the presence of 
 
 "Joshua Moul. 
 
 " Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by the icithin named, 
 Robert Colman, Edward Day, James Criffln, and 
 John Josiah Buttress in the presence of 
 " Jno. Eobt. Martin, 
 
 Clerk to Mr. Archbutt, Solr. 
 9 Sloane Square 
 
 Chelsea." 
 
 " (Enrollctr in Ijcr illatg/s "^iglj Court of ffiljanterij tlje 
 tljirtictlj tia^ of 3^pril, in tijc grar of our li'ortr 
 1845, being first iruhi stampctr arroriing to ttjc 
 tenor of tIjc .Statutes main; for tljat purpose. 
 
 " i. grelD." 
 
 At a later date the chapel was placed on the Model 
 Deed. 
 
 " Wesleyan Chapel at Knott's Green, Low Leyton. 
 
 " ORDER of the Charity Commissioners, dated Wi 
 February, 1872. 
 
64 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 " Tlie Order cotisiiiuies a Board of Trustees, and 
 places the property on the deed ' known and distin- 
 guished as " The Wesleyan Chapel Model Deed." ' " 
 
 The Trustees by this Order were Nathaniel Leigh, 
 Joseph Rufus Aldom, Ph.D., Charles Henry Goldthwait, 
 Charles James Thomas, William Frederick Potts, Caleb 
 Oliver, William Otter Smith, Richard Rowbotham, 
 Alfred Bedwell, William Meakin, John Topham, William 
 Munt Marshall. 
 
 At the present date, some of the trustees of this 
 chapel being dead, the number is being increased to the 
 full complement. 
 
 Before passing away from the old chapel, it will be 
 well to refer to two names associated with it which 
 afterwards became equally associated with the new 
 church. In the Leyton Road (now High Road) opposite 
 the new Abbott Park Estate there are two old Wesleyan 
 homes side by side — Salway House and Lime Tree 
 House. The former was occupied by the late Rufus 
 Aldom, Esq., Ph.D., who conducted a well-known school 
 here. Dr. Aldom came to Leyton about the time of the 
 "Reform" agitation of 1848-49, and was a pillar of 
 strength to the work. His pupils, numbers of whom are 
 now prosperous men in almost all parts of the world, 
 were regularly marched to service at Knott's Green 
 Chapel, until the erection of the Mary Fletcher Memorial 
 Church. Richard Skelton, Esq., of Lime Tree House, 
 has been associated with Leyton Methodism from child- 
 hood, his father having been a regular worshipper at the 
 chapel at Knott's Green. As Mr. Skelton is still with 
 us, we must refrain from saying more than stating that 
 no workers were more energetic and helpful in the 
 erection of the new church than he and members of his 
 family. 
 
 The names Aldom and Skelton must ever have a place 
 in any record of Leyton Wesleyanism. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 The Mary Fletcher Menu/rial Church promoted — The stone-laying 
 — The opening services — Description of the church — Frog 
 Row— Documents — Organ added. 
 
 Before tlie formation of the last-named Loar J of Trustees 
 of the Knott's Green Chapel it was apparent that much 
 more accommodation was needed for the congrega- 
 tion and the various agencies of the Society. This 
 advance was rendered immediately jjossible by two 
 circumstances : 
 
 1. The gift of an excellent site by S. R. Bosanquet, 
 Esq., for the appropriate purpose of erecting a chapel to 
 the memory of his deceased relative, Mary Fletcher. 
 
 2. A liberal grant and loan offered by the Wesleyan 
 Metropolitan Chapel Building Fund, a fund of which it 
 is not too much to say that it has been, by the Divine 
 favour, the salvation of Wesleyanism in London. 
 
 The friends at once put forth strenuous efforts to erect a 
 building which, when completed, should be worthy of the 
 illustrious name with which it would ever be associated. 
 
 The ceremony of memorial-stone laying was arranged 
 to take place on Monday, the 9th October, 1876. The 
 preliminary luncheon was held in the Grange Park 
 Road Grammar School, when about eighty friends 
 assemblde. The chair was ably filled by J. Hainsworth, 
 Esq., of Park Place, Leyton, who was supported by the 
 Revs. R. N. Young (the superintendent of the circuit), 
 G. Mather, G. Burgess, J. H. Ingram, J. L. Withington, 
 Mr. Hudson, W. Walters, J. Sutch, and C. Churchill; 
 S. C. Bosanquet, Esq., Dr. Aldom, Messrs. Marshall, 
 
66 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 Leigh, Skelton, and Surr ; and other ministers and 
 gentlemen. The chairman having delivered an earnest 
 and able address after the luncheon, Dr. Aldom made 
 a statement of the chapel enterprise, embodying the 
 rapidly growing necessities of the neighbourhood, the 
 difficulties to be surmounted, and what had so far been 
 accomplished. 
 
 The ceremony at the site v^as commenced by the 
 Rev. R. N. Young giving out a hymn, after which the 
 Rev. G. Burgess read a portion of Scripture, and the 
 Rev. C. Churchill offered prayer. Dr. Aldom, on behalf 
 of the trustees, presented a trowel to S. C. Bosanquet, 
 Esq., who was present in behalf of S. R. Bosanquet, Esq., 
 the generous donor of the site. S. C. Bosanquet, Esq., 
 having declared the first stone duly laid, referred to his 
 connexion with the Church of England, and remarked 
 that it had been a satisfaction to him to know that Mr. 
 Pardoe, the former vicar of the parish, and Mr. Brewster, 
 the present incumbent, had manifested their goodwill 
 towards the undertaking. He believed that the time 
 was not far distant when there would be co-operation, 
 goodwill, and unity amongst all the members of the 
 Christian Church, by whatever names they might be 
 called. There never was a time ^vhen it was more 
 necessary for those who belonged to Christ's Church to 
 be united. They were surrounded by enemies on every 
 side, and if they were to " hold the fort " there must 
 be no disunion with them. Therefore, he hoped that 
 all in that place would be sincerely united, and that 
 when they met, as they did at that time, in connexion 
 with the erection of their new church and a building for 
 God's worship, they would all remember that they were 
 in a far higher and deeper sense a building of God, and 
 that it was their bounden duty as members of one 
 Church and of one body to be united with love one 
 towards another, encouraging one another in good works. 
 
 Other stones were then laid, trowels being duly pre- 
 sented (1) by the Rev. R. N. Young to Miss Aldom ; 
 (2) by the Rev. T. II. Ingram to Mrs. Horace Marshall 
 
THE MAKY FLETCHEK IIEMOKIAL WBSLESAN CHURCH (BUILT 1876). 
 
The Maty Fletcher Memorial Church 69 
 
 (3) by Mr. Bennett to Mrs. Leigh ; (4) by the Rev. G. 
 Burgess to Miss A. M. Skelton ; and (5) by Mr. Hains- 
 worth to ]\Irs. Surr. 
 
 A public meeting was held iu the Congregational 
 Church, which had been kindly lent by the pastor and 
 friends, over which Mr. Hainsworth presided. The chair- 
 man's introductory remarks imported such enthusiasm into 
 the meeting as was not lost during the entire evening. 
 The brotherly and animated addresses of the Eev. Jlessrs. 
 Davis (pastor of the church) and Morris (Baptist) were 
 all that could be desired. The spirit of liberality was 
 greatly promoted by the stirring appeals of the Eev. 
 ilessrs. Walters, Mather, and Hudson. 
 
 The day's result-s greatly exceeded the utmost expecta- 
 tions. Amongst the contributors were the following : 
 Mr. Boyce, £50; Mrs. H. Marshall, £50; Salway 
 House and Cambridge House, =£-10 ; Mrs. Leigh, £25 ; 
 Jlrs. Skelton, £20; and Mrs. Surr, £20. On thanks 
 being presented to the chairman, it was stated that Mr. 
 Hainsworth had generously given at the meeting £25, 
 and promised a further donation of £50 on the completion 
 of the builtling. The entire proceeds of the day amounted 
 to more than £350. 
 
 The architect was Mr. George Marshall, of Hackney. 
 
 On Tuesday, Jime 26th, 1877, the new chapel was 
 dedicated to the worship of God. The Rev. Dr. Osborn 
 preached in the afternoon, and the Eev. Eichard Eoberts 
 in the evening, the services exciting great interest in the 
 neighbourhood. 
 
 The chapel, which occupies a commanding position at 
 the junction of three roads, is a large and very substantial 
 Gothic structure, built of Kentish rag and Bath stone. 
 The pews are of pitch pine, cushioned, and carpeted. 
 The windows are filled with tinted cathedral glass, and 
 three stained windows are placed in the chancel. The 
 chapel is warmed by hot water, and lighted from eight 
 handsome corona-s. The most prominent of the internal 
 fittings is a very massive and beautifully carved stone 
 pulpit. The chapel at present seats seven hundred, but 
 
JO Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 when finished will hold a thousand persons. The original 
 cost was £5500. 
 
 When the Mary Fletcher Memorial Cliurch was built, 
 there stood between it and the High Road old cottages 
 known as Frog Row. It appears that Frog Row was 
 condemned as early as 1791. The following is from the 
 parish records : 
 
 " 1791, May 9th. Resolved— That the thanks of this 
 Vestry be given to John Pardee, Esq., one of the Lords 
 of the Manor of Leyton Grange, and to Joshua Peart, 
 Esq., as the representative of the Mayor and six Aldermen 
 of Lincoln the other Lords of the Manor aforesaid, for 
 their very polite and generous behaviour to the parish in 
 having granted a license to pull down all the houses in 
 Frog Row, and to lay to the ground, whereon they stand, 
 into the publick highway, although the said ground is 
 copyhold. And the Rev. Mr. Keighly, vicar, was re 
 quested to send the above gentlemen a copy of this 
 resolution." ' 
 
 In spite of this license Frog Row escaped demolition 
 till quite recent times. 
 
 The documents which refer to this property are : 
 
 1 . "A GREEMENT as to conveyance of land, and erection 
 
 of Chapel on land, at Leyton, Essex. 
 " S. B. Bosanquet, Esq., and Messrs. William Leigh, 
 
 Joseph Bufus Aldoni, Charles James Thomas, 
 
 Bichard Skelton, William Mealmi, and William 
 
 Munt Marshall. 
 "Dated 22nd August, 1876." 
 
 2. " CONVEYANCE of Freehold Land and Chapel at 
 
 Letjton, in the County of Essex. 
 " William Henry Bosanquet, Esq., and others, to the 
 
 Trustees of the Wesleyan Chapel, Leyton, Essex. 
 "Dated 20th March, 1878. 
 
 ' Kennedy, Rtst. Leyton, \<. 394. 
 
Orio-inal Trustees 
 
 71 
 
 " B. 427. Registered by the Wesleyan Chapel Committee 
 this ticeniy-seventh day of January, 1890. 
 
 "Henry J. Pope, Secretary." 
 
 The trustees were James Hainswortli, Joseph Rufus 
 Aldom, Richard Skelton, Nathaniel William Leigh, 
 Samuel Goddard, Samuel Jabez Giftin, William Munt 
 Jlarshall, Joseph Giffin, Charles James Thomas, Jolm 
 Henry Bruce, Albert Belcher, and Henry Ockenden. 
 
 The trust was enlarged, because of vacancies, during 
 the residence here of the Rev. Arthur Wood, B.A., in 
 
 whose ministrj' also the organ was erected in the chiu-ch, 
 and the residue of the building debt was removed. 
 
 SPECIFICATION OF ORGAN. 
 
 BuiH hy Henry Speechty <£• Sons, Camden Organ Factory, 
 
 St. Mark's Roiul, Dalston, N.E. 
 
 Great Orgas. 
 
 piTcn. 
 
 PIPES 
 
 1. Open Diapason ..... 
 
 Sft. 
 
 SO 
 
 i. Clarabel Flute ..... 
 
 8ft. 
 
 56 
 
 3. Dulciana . . 
 
 Sft. 
 
 56 
 
 4. Octave 
 
 4 ft. 
 
 5li 
 
 6. Wald Flute 
 
 4 ft. 
 
 be, 
 
 8. Mixture 12tb and IStii ... 
 
 2§ & 2 ft. 
 
 112 
 
 7. Tranipet ...... 
 
 Sft. 
 
 66 
 
 S. Corno di Bassetto ..... 
 
 Sft. 
 
 56 
 
 SftTiLL Organ. 
 
 
 
 9. Double Diapason ..... 
 
 16 ft. 
 
 .06 
 
 10. Open Diapason ..... 
 
 Sft. 
 
 66 
 
 11. Lieblich Gedact ..... 
 
 Sft. 
 
 56 
 
 12. Principal ...... 
 
 4 ft. 
 
 56 
 
 13. Fifteenth . . ... 
 
 2 ft. 
 
 56 
 
 14. Mixture 19th and 22nd .... 
 
 
 112 
 
 15. Cornopean ...... 
 
 Sft." 
 
 50 
 
 lii. Oboe 
 
 Sft. 
 
 56 
 
 17. Tremulant ...... 
 
 
 
 Pedal Organ. 
 
 
 
 1'=. Open Diapason, Wood and Metal . 
 
 16 ft. 
 
 30 
 
 19. Bourdon ...... 
 
 16 ft. 
 
 30 
 
 COUPLER.S. 
 
 
 
 20. Swells to Great Unison .... 
 
 
 
 21. Swells to Great Super Octave 
 
 
 
 22. Swells to Pedals ..... 
 
 
 
 23. Great to Pedals 
 
 
 
 Three Composition Pedals to Great Organ ; Three Composition Pedals to Swell 
 Organ ; Concave Pedal Board as adopted by the College of Organists ; 
 Gothic Case of Selected Pitch Pine showing thJee fronts ol Speaking Pipes, 
 illuminated in gold and colour. 
 
 /mprorfld Tuh^dar Pneumntic Action is applied to the Pedal Organ. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 Renovation of tlie Chapel at Knott's Green — Alterations 
 at the Memorial Church. 
 
 Until the summer of 1894, the public road where the 
 Knott's Green Chapel stands was a country lane. Since 
 that time the neighbourhood has been fast developing, 
 in the hands of house builders, into one of the most 
 populous wings of the modern town of Leyton. The 
 spiritual needs of the new population coming into the 
 neighbourhood demanded that this old sanctuary — for 
 many long years a country preaching place, far removed 
 from the din and strife of London — should be adapted to 
 its changed environment and enter upon a new period 
 of usefulness. The first Step in this direction was 
 the renovation of the premises. This involved an out- 
 lay of about £250. The trustee meeting, which was 
 held at Clapton on the 24th of April, 189.5, sanc- 
 tioned the expenditure, on the understanding that the 
 whole should be raised, at the latest, by the following 
 Christmas. 
 
 The Rev. Cresar Caine, the resident minister, undertook 
 to collect £150 of the whole amount. 
 
 On Saturday, June 1st, stones commemorating the 
 present renovation were laid by Miss Wyburn, of Hadley 
 Manor, and Mr. George W. Munt. In the absence of 
 Joseph Gurney Barclay, Esq., who was expected, another 
 stone was laid by Miss Violet Caine in his behalf. The 
 Rev. Dr. Nicholson, the Rev. AV. Bestall, and the resident 
 minister, also Messrs. Evers, Frank, A. T. Morse, and 
 Richards, took part in the ceremony. The Rev. Cfesar 
 
Alterations at Memorial Church 73 
 
 Cainc read a list of donations, including £100 from ]\Ir. 
 Barclay, amounting to £140. 
 
 The architect was Josiah Gunton, Esq. (of the firm 
 Messrs. Gordon, Lowther & Gunton, Llomfield Street, 
 E.G.), who was also a generous contributor to the scheme. 
 
 The reopening services were conducted by the Rev. 
 Charles H. Kelly, the Rev. W. G. JJeardmore, and others. 
 Among the further donations then announced were Mr. 
 H. T. Vanner, 25 guineas, and Mr. James Budgett, £10. 
 A complete list containing every donation, and every 
 item of expense, was published in the localised Cliurch 
 Record for September, 1895. 
 
 The balance-sheet is as follows : 
 
 Balance-Sheet. 
 
 £ ?. 
 
 Collected by Rev. 
 
 Cfesar Caine . 205 1 
 
 Collections at the 
 Reopening Ser- 
 vices . . . 39 19 
 
 d. 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Expenditure' . 
 Balance in hand 
 
 £ s. (1. 
 
 . ■241 ]9 2 
 
 n 1 10 
 
 £245 1 
 
 
 
 £245 1 
 
 Examined with voucliers and found correct, 
 
 nth Se.pl ember, ISS.'i 
 
 \Vm. COLAIAN, Chartered Accountant, 
 75 Finjbury Pavement, E.O. 
 
 About the same time it was found necessary to 
 undertake certain renovations at the Mary Fletcher 
 Memorial Church for sanitary reasons, as well as for the 
 preservation of the property and the comfort of the 
 worshippers. One item of these alterations is worthy of 
 special mention, for it not only effectually excludes a 
 severe draught from the entrance, which was for a long 
 time a troublesome source of complaint, but adds greatly 
 to the architectural beauty of the building. 
 
 ' Alterations, Renewal of Decayed Work, Decorations, New 
 Furniture, Sanitary Work and Water. Walks and Grounds, etc. 
 
74 Wesleyan Methodism in Ley ton 
 
 The front doorway 
 opening, a diminutive and 
 unsightly structure added 
 after the cliurch was 
 built, has been cut away, 
 and in place thereof two 
 imposing main - entrance 
 ways are formed, with 
 Bath -stone Gothic- 
 moulded jambs, piers, 
 and arches, clustered 
 columns, carved capitals, 
 perforated tympanums ; 
 and new pitch-pine doors. 
 The whole of the par- 
 titions lately forming an 
 inner porchway and two 
 vestries are re-arranged, and a handsome Gothic-headed 
 screen partition in Oregon pine, with two sets of 
 swing doors, is substituted immediately opposite the new 
 entrance doors. 
 
 Tlie expenses liave been, in part, defrayed by dona- 
 tions, and it is hoped to cover the rest of the cost by a 
 sale of work to be held in' March of the present year. 
 The entire outlay, apart from architect's fees, etc., amounts 
 to about £370. 
 
 The whole of the work is being carried out from 
 designs and under the superintendence of the architect, 
 Mr. J. Williams Dunford, M.S.A., F.I.Inst. 
 
THESE DOORS ARE WITHIN THE PORTICO SEEN IN THE SKETCU ON TAOE 67. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 Preacliers at Leytou — City Road Circuit — Waltliam Abbey and 
 St. Albans Circuit — Walthani Abbey and Leyton Circuit — 
 Leyton Circuit — Islington Circuit — Hackney Circuit — Clapton 
 Circuit. 
 
 At the time of the formation of the Leyton Society, 
 London and the country for miles round formed but one 
 circuit, and John Wesley himself was the superintendent. 
 Those who shared the superintendency with Wesley, or 
 succeeded Wesley after his death, were Daniel Bumstead, 
 Peter Jaco, Thomas Coke, William Thompson, John 
 Pawson, Alexander Mather, Joseph Benson, Joseph 
 Taylor, Adam Clarke. 
 
 In the year 1807, the London Circuit was divided into 
 the London East (City Eoad), and London West (Great 
 Queen Street) Circuits. The following are the appoint- 
 ments to City Road Circuit : 
 
 1807 Adam Clarke, M.A., Williani Jenkins, Jonatlian Barker, 
 
 David M'Nicoll 
 
 1808 Walter Griffith, Robert Johnson, Jonathan Barker, John 
 
 Newton 
 
 1809 Walter Griffith, Robert Jolinson, Richard Recce, Thomas 
 
 Kelk, James Creighton 
 
 1810 John Barber, George Highfield, Richard Reece, Thomas Kelk, 
 
 James Creighton 
 
 1811 John Barber, George Highfield, John Stephens, John Brown, 
 
 Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 
 1812 Henry Moore, AVilliani Myles, Roljcrt Smith, John Stephens, 
 
 Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 181-3 Henry Moore, William Myles, Robert Smith, Adam Clarke 
 
 LL.D., John Gaulter, Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 1814 James Wood, Samuel Bradburn, Adam Clarke, LL.D. (Pres.) 
 
 John Gaulter, James Buckley, Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 77 
 
78 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 1815 James Wood, Samuel Bradburu, Thomas Wood, John Gaulter, 
 
 James Buckley, Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 
 1816 Joseph EnUvisle, Thomas Wood, John Riles, sen., George 
 
 Marsden, Richard Watson, Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 
 1817 Joseph Entwisle, John Reynolds, sen., John Riles, sen., 
 
 George Marsden, Richard Watson, Thomas Vasey, sen. 
 
 In the year 1818, Leyton was one of the preaching 
 places in the newly formed Waltham Abbey and St. 
 Alban's Circuit. The following were the " travelling 
 preachers " at this time : 
 
 1818 William Levell, James Jarrett 
 
 1819 William Levell, Daniel Jackson, juu. 
 1820-1821 George Taylor 
 
 1822-1823 Peter M'Owan 
 
 1824 Ambrose Freeman, James Cooke 
 
 1825 Ambrose Freeman, James Cooke, Jonathan Cadman 
 
 1826 Thomas Ludlam, William Wilson (c), John T. Barr 
 
 1827 Thomas Ludlam, Robert Hawkins, Sanmel Fiddian 
 
 In the year 1828, the "Waltham Abbey and Leyton 
 Circuit was formed, and the ministers were : 
 
 1828 Roger Moore, William Peet 
 
 1829 Isaac Bradnack, John H. Faull, George Warren 
 
 1830 Isaac Bradnack, John Saunders, John H. Bunjby 
 
 In the year 1831, Leyton became an independent 
 circuit, and included a number of preaching places from 
 Leyton to AValtham Abbey (North to South), and from 
 the Eiver Lea to Chigwell (West to East). The ministers 
 in the respective years were : 
 
 1831-1832 George Turner 1835-1837 Thomas R. Fisher 
 
 1833-1834 Richard Gower 1838 John Knowles, son. 
 
 In the year 1837-38 Leyton was visited by a gracious 
 " revival." This quickening of the spiritual life of the 
 Society did much to increase the membership, and to con- 
 solidate the work. 
 
 1839-1840 Richard Eland 1841 Joseph Walker 
 
Leyton Circuit 79 
 
 During the ministiy of Joseph Walker, the member- 
 ship was upwards of eighty, soon to be reduced to one- 
 fourth that number. 
 
 1842 John Mason (a) 1848-1850 William Bm-nett 
 
 1843-1845 Robert Colnian 1851-1852 James Kendall (a) 
 
 1846-1847 James Rathboue 
 
 The house occupied by the resident minister in Leyton 
 during this period was the cottage previously inhabited 
 by Mr. William Pocock after his reverses, to which refer- 
 ence has been made. This cottage stands at the north 
 side of the chapel at Knott's Green. 
 
 The years 1848-49 are memorable in Methodism as the 
 period of the disastrous agitation promoted by Messrs. 
 Everett, Dunn, and Griffith. Discord permeated the 
 whole Connexion, and circuits, great and small, were 
 wrecked. Among the latter, Leyton finds a place. Here 
 the strife was both bitter and prolonged, one result being 
 that William Burnett, the superintendent minister (1848- 
 .50), was expelled from the Conference because of his 
 sympathy with the agitators. At this time, the member- 
 ship decreased to about twenty persons, and the congrega- 
 tion at public worship seldom reached fifty. Perhaps these 
 were the darkest days ever seen by the Leyton Society. 
 
 The name of William IJurnett is still perpetuated in 
 the neighbourhood. There is, at Woodford, an Union 
 Chapel which he did much to promote, and where he 
 also preached for some time. This chapel is often spoken 
 of as Burnett's Chapel. 
 
 In 1853 Leyton Circuit was rearranged, and part, 
 including Leyton itself, became incorjaorated with the 
 Islington Circuit, which had been formed in 1843. The 
 preachers at this period were : 
 
 1853 John Hall Benjamin R. Waddy, Daniel West, William 
 
 Edwards (b), Frederick W. Briggs 
 
 1854 John Hall, Thomas Llewellyn, Luke H. Wiseman, M.A., 
 
 Frederick W. Briggs, Benjamin Hellier 
 
8o Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 liS55 Isaac Keeliiig (Pres.), Tliomas Llewellyn, Luke H. Wiseman, 
 M.A., Frederick W. Briggs, iJenjaniin Hellier, Tlieophilus 
 Pearson 
 
 1856 Isaac Keeling, Tliomas Llewellyn, Luke H. Wiseman, M.A., 
 Benjamin Hellior, Theophilus Pearson 
 
 The Hackney Circuit was formed from the Islington 
 Circuit in 1857, and Leyton formed jiart of the new 
 circuit. These were the appointments to the Hackney 
 Circuit : 
 
 1857 Fiaiicis A. West (Pres.), William Andrews, Thcopliiliis 
 
 Pearson, George Stringer Rowe 
 1858-1859 Francis A. West, William Andrews, Benjamin Field 
 
 1860 Thomas Vasey, Henry M. Harvard, Benjamin Field 
 
 1861 Thomas Vasey, Henry M. Harvard, James Chalmers, M.A. , 
 
 Thomas Stephenson (a) 
 
 1862 Tliomas Vasey, Henry M. Harvard, James Chalmers, M.A., 
 
 James M. Laycock 
 
 1863 William Jackson (a), John Martin, James Chalmers, M.A., 
 
 John S. Pawlyn 
 
 1864 Ebenezer E. Jenkins, M.A., Frederick C. Hainie 
 
 1865 Ebenezer E. Jenkins, M.A., Frederick C. Halme, Henry 
 
 Dodds 
 
 1866 Ebenezer E. Jenkins, M.A., Frederick C. Haime, James F. 
 
 Pyle 
 1867-1868 Richard Smetham, William 0. Simpson, James F. Pyle 
 1869 Richard Smetham, William 0. Simpson, William G. Dickin, 
 
 J. Robinson Gregory 
 1870-1871 John V. B. Shrewsbury, Walford Green, M'illiam G. 
 
 Dickin, Edward Burton 
 1872 John V. B. Shrewsbury, Walford Green, .lohn Burgess, 
 
 William H. Booth 
 1873-1874 Francis W. Greeves, John Wood, B.A., John Burgess, 
 
 Williahi H. Booth 
 
 1875 Francis W. Greeves, John Wood, B.A., William Hudson, 
 
 John Burgess, T. Lawry Withington 
 
 A Hst of the Clapton Circuit ministerial ajijioint- 
 ments will be welcome here : 
 
 1876 Robert N. Young, D.D., George Burgess, T. Henry Ingram, 
 
 T. Lawry Withington 
 
 1877 S. Evans Rowe, George Burgess, T. Henry Ingram, T. Lawry 
 
 Withington 
 
Clapton Circuit 8i 
 
 1878 S. Evans Rowe, Wesley Butters, T, Henry Ingram, William 
 
 Done 
 
 1879 S. Evans Rowe, Thos. F. Lockyer, B.A.' 
 1S80-1881 Richard Green, Thomas F. Lockyer, B.A. 
 1882 Richard Green, C. Bernard M'CuUagh 
 1S83-1884 Frederick W. Briggs, M.A., WUliam Willey 
 
 1885 George Kenyon, Alexander Mayes 
 
 1886 George Kenyon, Alexander Mayes ; Jabez Palmer, William 
 
 T. Nelson, Supernumeraries 
 
 1887 George Kenyon, Alexander Mayes; Jabez Palmer, William T. 
 
 Nelson, Robert Collier, SupernumeraH^ 
 
 1888 Joseph Dixon, Arthur Wood, B.A. ; Jabez Palmer, Robert 
 
 Collier, Supcrnunurarlcs 
 
 1889 Joseph Dixon, Arthur Wood, B.A. ; Jabez Palmer, Edward 
 
 A. Telfer, Robert Collier, Supernwrncrarics 
 
 1890 Joseph Dixon, Arthur Wood, B. A. ; Jabez Palmer, Robert 
 
 Collier, Supcrnunuraries 
 
 1891 William G. Beardmore, Henry H. M'Cullagh, B.A. ; Robert 
 
 Collier, Benjamin Bro^rae, Supermimcrai'ics 
 
 1892 William G. Beardmore, Henry H. M'Cullagh, B.A. ; Robert 
 
 Eardley, B.A., Simpson Crump, J. Robinson Gregory, 
 Supermimeraries 
 
 1893 William G. Beardmore, Hem-y H. M'Cullagh, B.A. ; William 
 
 S. Bestall, Simpson Crump, Robert Eardley, B.A., Super- 
 mimeraries 
 
 1891 T. Ballans Nicholson, LL.D., Cajsar Caine ; William S. 
 Bestall, Su]>ernmnerary 
 
 1895 J. WUlis Britten, Ciesar Caine, Josiah D. PauU ; AVilliam S. 
 Bestall, Siipemnmerary - 
 
 ' This year the Wanstead and JVoodford Circuit was formed 
 from Clapton. 
 
 - In making out this list the Minutes of Conference are followed, 
 lu the case of Supernumeraries two or three changes were made 
 alter the Jlinutes were confirmed and printed. Of other Super- 
 numeraries who resided in this circuit for a longer or a shorter 
 period, we may name : James S\itoh (d. 1882), Richard Tabraham 
 (d. 1878), and Josiah Goodacre. 
 
CHAPTEK XII 
 
 The Sunday school an early institution — Its origin — Superin- 
 tendents — Temporary building — The last report — The branch 
 school — The Band of Hope. 
 
 The Wesleyan Sunday school in Leyton is quite a vener- 
 able institution among the schools of the neighbourhood. 
 It originated chiefly through the zeal and eil'orts of Mr. 
 John Marshall and his wife in 1817, and fJr nearly eighty 
 years has done excellent service in disseminating religious 
 knowledge, and in jireparing many hundreds of young 
 people for Christian life and work. 
 
 So far as I can learn, the superintendents have been as 
 follows : 
 
 John Marshall, Noah Martin, Henry Spencer, William 
 Munt Marshall, II. Thilthorpe, Dr. Aldom, H. 
 Watson, S. E. Tippett (morning school), Walter 
 Abbott, J. Eichards, and J. Laing (morning school). 
 
 In the year 1892 a temporary iron building was erected 
 near the Memorial Church, for the purposes of a Sunday 
 school, and the scholars were transferred there from the 
 Knott's Green premises. The following items, selected 
 from the school Bejwii for 1895, are of interest : 
 
 1. TJie Class Room contemplated last year for the infant 
 
 scholars has been erected, and the whole cost defrayed, 
 which amounted to £68 18s 6d. 
 
 2. Our Library has a membership of 154. The present 
 
 number of volumes is 200. We are badly in want 
 of more books; 200 for 154 readers is a very in- 
 
The Band of Hope 83 
 
 adequate proportion. Some of these books have 
 been in the library ten or twelve years, and are 
 in a bad condition. 
 
 3. Juvenile Missionarij Society. The amount raised for 
 
 the year ending December, 1894, was £36 5s. In 
 addition, there was one special collection, viz. Inter- 
 national Bible Eeading Association Missionary, 14s., 
 making a total for mission work at home and abroad 
 of £36 19s. 
 
 4. A Scripture Examination took place in February last ; 
 
 nineteen scholars sat, fourteen gained certificates. 
 
 From 1892 to September, 1895, no school was held at 
 Knott's Green. At the latter date a branch school was 
 opened consequent upon a rapid increase of the population 
 in the immediate neighbourhood. This school has now 
 been open six months, and numbers one hundred and 
 seventy scholars. Mr. Morrow, son of the Eev. J. G. 
 Morrow, is appointed first superintendent. The total 
 number of scholars in the centre school and the branch 
 school is upwards of five hundred. 
 
 A Band of Hope was inaugurated in October, 1894, and 
 now numbers nearly four hundred members, with an 
 average attendance of two hundred and eighty. This 
 attendance is largely owing to efficient organisation, and 
 to assiduous attention on the part of Mr. Hubbard, the 
 conductor. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 In this chapter I will give a few chronological notes of 
 events which do not fall naturally under the heading of 
 the other chapters. 
 
 I. Rer/isfer of Baptisms. — There is nothing worthy 
 of special notice unless it be some of the signatures of 
 officiating ministers. Of these we select — 
 
 (1) John Hannah. Dr. Hannah was twice President 
 of the Conference— in 1842 and 1851. 
 
 (2) Luke H. Wiseman. The Rev. Luke H. Wiseman, 
 M.A., was President of the Conference in 1872. 
 
 (3) Benjamin Field. This gentleman was the author 
 of A Handbook of Christiaii Tlieolorjy, which for a long 
 time was very popular among those who were beginning 
 to read Methodist doctrines. 
 
 (4) Ebenezer E. Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins was President 
 of the Conference in 1880. 
 
 These signatures all refer to services conducted in tlie 
 old chapel. 
 
 Other interesting signatures are as follows : Benjamin 
 Hellier, Thomas Llewellyn, William Jackson (a), W. 0. 
 Simpson, and Richard Smetham. 
 
 II. Register of Marriages. — The entries are all very 
 recent. The last entry records that on Tuesday, January 
 14, 1896, the Rev. Robert Arthur Morris, Wesleyan 
 minister, of Salcombe (Devon), was married to Miss Nellie 
 Marguerite Gasston. The Rev. Caesar Caine officiated. 
 
Ordination Service 85 
 
 III. An Ordiiiatiou Service is an event which comes 
 only to a few of our churches, and since Leyton has 
 received this honour we preserve the record. 
 
 On Monday, November 11th, 1895, Mr. Walter Seed, 
 of Eichmond College, designated for work in India, was 
 ordained for the work of the Christian ministrj', the 
 service being conducted by the Rev. Walford Green, ex- 
 President. The Missionary Committee was represented 
 by the Rev. G. "W. Giver, B.A., who gave the charge. 
 The Rev. Joseph Dixon, J. "Willis Britton, and Csesar 
 Caine also took part in the proceedings. 
 
 The stormy character of the evening precluded the 
 presence of many, but there was a large and representative 
 gathering of local friends. A goodly number of the 
 students from Eichmond were also present. 
 
 The proceedings commenced with the singing of 
 hymn 870 — 
 
 Thou, whose almighty word 
 Chaos and darkuess heard • 
 
 after which the Rev. Joseph Dixon oflfered prayer. 
 
 Jlr. Seed, being requested to narrate his conversion 
 and call to the work, stated that he owed his attachment 
 to Christ, His Church, and Jlethodism to the influence of 
 his home, and in particular to that of his mother. He 
 was the son of a Wesleyan minister, but was bereft in 
 early life of the love and oversight of his father. He 
 could not, as many could, point to a place or a period 
 when he became definitely decided for Christ. He once 
 apparently made such a definite decision ; but it did not 
 prove a crisis in his life — rather a passing emotion. 
 About his present attachment and devotion to Jesus 
 Christ he could speak with the greatest certainty. His 
 call to preach was contemporaneous with his first con- 
 sciousness of accei^tance by Christ. As to his relation to 
 the foreign work, he had to admit that at first he turned 
 from it with a strong desire to find a sphere at home. 
 That preference had completely broken down. He had 
 no words which could adequately express his sense of 
 
86 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 indebtedness for the benefits he had derived from Ricli- 
 mond College and all its associations. Richmond College, 
 more than any other influence, had made him a missionary. 
 He no longer preferred another work to that to which he 
 was looking forward. He was resolved by divine grace 
 to be faithful, and begged the prayers of his fellow 
 believers. 
 
 The Rev. G. W. Olver, B. A., announced as his text Acts 
 xiii. 2, " Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work 
 whereunto I have called them." It was eight years that 
 very week since he (Mr. Olver) took part in an ordination 
 service, when his own son and young Mr. Bestall, whose 
 father was now in the congregation, were set apart for 
 the work of the gospel. In addressing Mr. Srcd his 
 words would be few, but he would endeavour to s[)eak as 
 he would were the candidate before him his own son. 
 It was the pre-eminent characteristic of the ministerial 
 life that it was a separate life — separated from ordinary 
 vocations, and consecrated to a spiritual service. It must 
 ever be the purpose and endeavour of the Christian 
 minister to justify that separation. It was possible for 
 a man to be a minister of a Church, and yet not be a 
 minister of Jesus Christ. But the man called, sent forth, 
 and indwelt by the Holy Spirit would ever justify his 
 position before men. The minister must be no ordinary 
 student of Hohj Scripture, but an expert in the things of 
 God. To his young friend he would commend, too, the 
 study of human character. In India the human heart 
 was the same as in England. But there, the human 
 soul was found in entirely new environments, and it 
 would become his duty to understand the people among 
 whom he was called to labour. Without such a study of 
 the people there could not be a proper presentment of the 
 truth to them. Then, the man who was separated to 
 the work of God would justify his position by his life. 
 The minister's conduct in private and public must interpret 
 and illustrate his teaching. Only teaching so enforced 
 could be truly effectual. Again, this separation could 
 only be justified by entire devotion to the icork of the 
 
THE REV. WALTER SEED, OF LUCKNOW. 
 
Annual Gatherings 89 
 
 Cliurch. Nothing must be permitted to turn the minister 
 aside from his proper occupation. He had received a 
 letter from a botanist asking for the addresses of mis- 
 sionaries who might send him specimens of plants and 
 flowers, with a description of their hahitaf, etc., when the 
 said missionaries " had nothing better to do." Nothing 
 better to do ! Let the missionary be interested in every 
 work of God, but there could be no better work for him 
 than his own proper work. Henceforth Mr. Seed was 
 not to please himself, not to pick and choose his work. 
 His work was defined by Christ. To that work he must 
 devote himself unceasingly. 
 
 It is impossible to do justice to this charge in so brief 
 a sketch. At ordination services we have listened to long 
 and learned addresses which have wearied the congrega- 
 tion ; but the whole audience on this occasion seemed 
 desirous to catch every word of the speaker, whose 
 counsels were as shrewd as godly from first to last. 
 
 The ceremony of the laying on of hands was followed 
 by the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 
 
 IV. Annual Gathering of fJie Police, Postmen, Tram- 
 conductors, etc. — For some years Mrs. J. G. Barclay has 
 invited the public servants of the neighbourhood to a 
 substantial tea, after which a social evening has been 
 spent. The gathering is free from all denominationalism, 
 the friends at the Mary Fletcher Memorial Church 
 accepting the responsibility of acting as a committee 
 for Mrs. Barclay. An address calculated to help the 
 men in their daily life has always been a feature of the 
 programme after tea. Last year (Jan., 1895) the address 
 was given by the Rev. W. T. H. Wilson, M.A., the 
 highly esteemed vicar of the parish, and this year (Jan., 
 1896) the Rev. John Kennedy, vicar of St. Catherine's, 
 was the speaker. 
 
 On these two latter occasions, the following rhyme 
 adapted by one of our workers, was taken up by the com- 
 pany with great zest, and its appearance here will help to 
 recall many bright memories of these annual gatherings. 
 
90 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 Adapted niul wrillcn for the Annual Meeting of Policemen, 
 
 Postmen, Tram-men, niid Cabmen, at Leyton Wesleyan 
 
 Church Schoolroom, January 1th and 8th, 1896. 
 
 "HERE'S TO THE YEAR THAT'S AWA'." 
 Etc. Etc. 
 
 Heee'.s to tlie year that's awa' ! 
 With its sorrows and joys, great and sma' ; 
 And here's to the friends, young and old, that we lov'd 
 In the days of the year tliat's awa'. 
 
 THE POLICEMEN. 
 
 Here's Ood-speed to the men of the Force, 
 The Policemen who guard all we love ; 
 'Neath their tunics of blue, may their hearts e'er beat true 
 To their duty, and heaven above. 
 
 THE POSTMEN. 
 
 Here's to Postmen so careful and sure : 
 As they pass through the streets night and day, 
 With the messages dear, from friends distant or near. 
 May our thanks help them on by the way. 
 
 THE TEAM- MEN. 
 
 May the Tram-men who wUlingly toil 
 So that we may ride safe and secure, 
 Meet on life's road few jars, and as smoothly as cars 
 Journey on to the end of their tour. 
 
 THE CABMEN. 
 
 May the Cabmen who from the ranks hail. 
 And are welcome among us to-night, 
 Our pleasures now share, then by many a fare 
 Find their duties made happy and bright. 
 
 Here's our thanks to our hostess so kind, 
 Mrs. Barclay, the pride o' us a' ; 
 May she ever be blest, and ne'er look with regret 
 On the days of the year that's awa'. 
 
 A. D. P. 
 
CHAPTEE XIV 
 
 Miss Lewin — Sally LawTence — William and Hannah Pocock — 
 George Godby — Caleb Oliver — Joseph Giffin — William 
 Munt Marshall — Joseph Rufus Aldom— Henry Spencer — 
 James Giffin— Mrs. Hill. 
 
 Tuis chapter is not so complete as I hoped to make 
 it. Families, once located here, are become so scattered, 
 that it is almost impossible to glean any memories con- 
 cerning those who have been called away by death. I 
 am pleased to be able to preserve the following notes : 
 
 1. Miss Lewin. We have already learned that this 
 lady was one of the sisterhood in Miss Bosanquet's 
 home.' Though she had been a Christian many years, 
 walking in the way of self-denial and devotion to God, 
 and being in many things a strUving pattern, she passed 
 through a dark season of fear and doubt at the close 
 of her life, but finally achieved a signal victory over 
 all her misgivings, dying with this triumphant cry 
 upon her lips — " Glory ! " 
 
 2. Sally Lawrence may be fairly claimed as a Leyton 
 Wesleyan. Sally, a friendless and homeless child, was 
 taken by Jliss Bosanquet into her home at Leytonstone 
 at the age of four.- She never left the side of her 
 benefactress, but accompanied her to Yorkshire, and 
 afterwards to Madeley. AVTien Sally was dead the 
 already widowed Mrs. Fletcher felt that the last tie 
 which bound her to this world was broken. The entry 
 in her diary is, — 
 
 " Jan. 1, 1801. — What have I seen and felt since last I 
 ' See p. 25. ' See p. 19. 
 
92 Wesleyan Methodsm in Ley ton 
 
 wrote ! On December 3rd, my dearest child and friend 
 went triumphantly to glory ! I was helped to write an 
 account of her devoted life and happy death, and read 
 it to the Society. How does the Lord help us in the 
 needful hour ! In the ordering of her funeral, and 
 various things which fell on me alone, I have been 
 brought through, and proved her dying words, ' He 
 will put His everlasting arms underneath you.' He doth, 
 and I am borne up. But oh, what a loss do I sustain ! 
 God only knows what she was to me ; and Himself 
 alone can fill the aching void ! " 
 
 3. Ha7inah Poeock, wife of William Pocock, died at Ley- 
 ton, 1 8th July, 1 830, in her seventy-seventh year. See p. 30. 
 
 4. William Pocock died at Leyton, 17th April, 1835. 
 See pp. 29-32. 
 
 5. George Godbehere, generally known as George Godby, 
 died about 1867. He was a good man, though marked 
 by many oddities of character. A letter lies before me as 
 I write, addressed 
 
 "Nil Desperandum Godbehere, Esq., 
 Leyton, 
 
 Essex." 
 This communication is dated Jan. 31st, 1815. 
 
 The event which provoked this missive displays the 
 buoyant large-hearted geniality of the man. 
 
 Wlierc the bridge spans the railway line at the Lea 
 Bridge railway station, the road formerly ran down a 
 declivity, and here, in rainy seasons, the road was often 
 under water so deep, that a ferryboat was not infrequently 
 called into use. One day, when the " floods were out," 
 our friend Godby came to this awkward part of the 
 road, and found another traveller standing at the edge 
 of the water, evidently distressed at the situation. The 
 man was pale, and evidently very ill. Nothing more 
 was needed to prompt Godby to offer his aid. " Nil 
 Desperandum ! " he cried, and forthwith bade his new 
 
George Godby 93 
 
 acquaintance mount his sturdy back. This was soon 
 done, and Godby stepped into the water, carrying his 
 sick companion over dry-sliod. 
 
 The letter before me is a grateful acknowledgement of 
 his " kind conduct " and " humane attention," playfully 
 written, as is apparent from the address. 
 
 I could almost fill a little book with stories I have 
 heard of Mr, Godby. 
 
 He served the Wesleyan Society in Leyton by occupy- 
 ing, at dilferent times, every possible office. When he 
 heard that Mr. Pocock contemplated a lease of land for 
 a chapel, his ready impulsive nature led him to hurry to 
 Mr. Pocock's house, at four o'clock in the morning, to 
 urge the ratification of the gift. 
 
 6. Caleb Oliver; a trustee for Knott's Green Chapel under 
 the deed of 1872, lived in Leyton for some time. He 
 was also a trustee for other suburban chapels. Whilst 
 still a young man his life was overcast by severe sickness 
 in his family, and by financial losses. He died on the 
 26th of May, 1879, in the forty-first year of his age. His 
 last illness was accompanied with great pain, but he was 
 graciously sustained by a holy confidence and joy. Over 
 and over again during the night of his death he sang the 
 well-known refrain beginning — 
 
 We're marching through Immanuel's ground ! 
 
 7. Joseph Giffin, the youngest son of Mr. James Giffin, 
 was one of the original trustees of the Mary Fletcher 
 Memorial Church, and for some time the choirmaster. 
 His death occurred with great suddenness in 1879. 
 
 8. William Munt Marshall died on the 12th December, 
 1882. The following paragraph is taken from the local 
 newspaper: "He was one of the oldest and most 
 esteemed of our fellow-townsmen of Leyton. He was a 
 member of the Local Board, and the School Board ; but the 
 former he was obliged to resign on account of failing 
 health, and was only identified with the latter at the time 
 
94 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 of his death. How sincerely his decease is lamented was 
 testified by the large attendance at his funeral, which 
 took place at St. Mary's Church. Prior to the inter- 
 ment the burial service was conducted at the Wesleyan 
 Church by the Rev. C. B. M'Cullagh, B.A. Every 
 facility was given for the conduct of the service, and 
 every kindness shown by the vicar, the Rev. J. Lunt, 
 M.A. Among those present were W. Fowler, Esq., 
 M.P., Major Cupper, R. Vincent, Esq., Dr. Aldom, and 
 Mr. R. Skelton." 
 
 9. Dr. Aldom was seized with sudden illness at a meeting 
 of Sunday-school teachers, on 26th August, 1885, and was 
 tenderly conveyed to liis home, to die within three days. 
 On the following Sunday the preachers at the Wesleyan 
 chapels of Leyton and Walthamstow made aliecting 
 allusion to the event, and the congregations were shocked 
 by the intelligence of the doctor's death, which had 
 occurred on the previous day. Joseph Rufus Aldom 
 was born at Holsworthy in Devonshire, and was the 
 son of the Rev. Isaac Aldom, Wesleyan minister. He 
 was one of the most acceptable local preachers in the 
 circuit. He was also a prominent member on the Com- 
 mittee of the Local Preachers' Mutual Aid Association, 
 of which he was an ex-president. Of late years he 
 specially devoted his attention to the Sunday school, of 
 which he was the superintendent, and displayed great 
 anxiety for the welfare of the young people, and the 
 consecration of their lives to the service of Christ. As 
 vice-president of the Band of Hope, ho further showed 
 his concern for their temporal as well as spiritual welfare. 
 All temperance movements found in liim a warm-hearted 
 supporter. 
 
 Dr. Aldom sustained many parochial offices, such as 
 chairman of the Local Board, and also of the School 
 Board, churchwarden, etc. 
 
 In 1851 Dr. Aldom became the proprietor and prin- 
 cipal of Salway House School. He was also principal of 
 the Ladies' College, which was established about eighteen 
 
Dr. Aldom 95 
 
 years in connexion with it. The funeral took place on 
 Tliursday, September 3rd, at the parish church, evidence 
 of public .sympathy and sorrow being manifested by the 
 shop-windows being partially closed, and the blinds drawn 
 in the windows of the houses along the route traversed 
 by the cortege. On arriving at the Wesleyan Chapel the 
 remains were placed on a bier in front of the communion 
 table. The Rev. William Willey, circuit minister, read 
 the Burial Service, and delivered an address, in which he 
 referred to the eminent services rendered by the deceased. 
 In the name of the teachers and scholars of the Sunday 
 school a beautiful wreath of flowers was laid on the 
 coffin by IVIiss Vasey and Jliss Fenn. The funeral pro- 
 cession was met at the church gates by the Rev. Morgan 
 Gilbert, curate, St. Mary's, Leyton, who officiated at the 
 graveside, reading the service most impressively, many 
 of the onlookers being moved to tears. Dr. Aldom was 
 sixty-five years of age at the time of his death. 
 
 10. Henry Spencer, for some time superintendent of 
 the Sunday school, died on the 14th of February, 1891, at 
 Islington, when visiting at the house of a relative. Mrs. 
 Speiicer died on the 21st of May, 1894, aged eighty-one 
 years, having been a member of the Wesleyan Society 
 for a period of seventy years. 
 
 11. James Giffin, who was a trustee of the first site 
 leased by Mr. William Pocock, resided throughout his 
 business career in Hackney, but took the deepest interest 
 in the work at Leyton. He died in the ninetieth year of 
 his age, and was buried beside his wife, in the family vault 
 of his son-in-law at Old Swinford, in 1891. 
 
 12. Mrs. Hill, of Walthamstow, who died on Thursday, 
 31st of October, 1895, for forty-five years was a member 
 of the Wesleyan Society. Her association with the 
 Wesleyans at Leyton and Walthamstow extended over 
 a period of twenty-two years, and for the greater part 
 of that period she filled the office of class-leader. Her 
 
96 Wesleyan Methodism in Leyton 
 
 lowly and earnest Christian life endeared her to a wide 
 circle of acquaintances and friends. 
 
 " Almighty Father, — In the days of His flesh, Thy Son 
 did say that Thou wert not the God of the dead, but of 
 the living. Give us right understanding of these words 
 of the Lord. "We think of generations gone by, of 
 apostles and martyrs, and uncanonised saints, and these 
 we rejoice live in Thee. Oh ! send Thy Comforter to us, 
 that with patient and valiant spirits, looking for and 
 longing for, we may at last attain the blessed deliverance 
 into Life Eternal. — Amen."i 
 
 ' From George Dawson's Prayers. 
 
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 MOKlllaON AND (;1BB LIMITED, EDINBUUOH.