Methodism was a non-conformist movement started by the brothers John and Charles Wesley in the mid 18th century. Although the focus of the Wesleys was on changing the Church of England so that its members really lived their religion, it was eventually forced to secede from the established church. After the death of the Wesleys , Methodism began to fragment into a number of different movements with small but important differences of doctrine and liturgy.
Primitive Methodism was a significant one of these breakaway movements from about 1810 until 1932. Primitive simply meant “relating to an original stage”, as Primitive Methodists saw themselves as practising a purer form of Christianity, closer to the earliest Methodists. They were marked by the relatively plain design of their chapels and the lack of ritual in their worship. Their social base was among the poorer members of society, who appreciated its unambiguous content and its direct, spontaneous style). In 1932, the Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyans merged with the United Methodists, to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
Essex has a long history of non-conformism and, during the second half of the nineteenth century, Primitive Methodist chapels were established in Ashdon, Chrishall, Clavering, Duddenhoe End, Elmdon, Elsenham, Hempstead, Langley, Littlebury, Manuden, Murrell Green, Newport, Radwinter End, Rickling, Saffron Walden and Stansted.
Hempstead’s was one of the first to be built, in 1853. Given that it is now known as the Manse, it may be that the minister also lived there – does anyone have any information about this?
We don’t yet have any detailed records of which families in the village were ’chapel’ but we do know that Margaret Drane’s father, Frank Marsh, who was the village baker, ran the Sunday School. And Dorothy Turner, from Springfields, played the organ in the chapel during the period between the Wars.
The Primitive Methodist Connexion ordered at its 1848 Conference that a Society Roll-Book should be kept. Each preacher had to entering the class members in his roll-book and class-book, distinguishing those on trial from those approved. The roll-books were then presented to the Circuit, Branch or Mission Committee who recorded the contents in their Minute Book. Then everything was further recorded in the General Quarter-day Book.
When a new preacher arrived at his/her station, they took the roll-book relating to the places where they would preach as they went round the circuit. The roll-books were compared to the class-books and if necessary, remarks such as ‘dead’, ‘removed’, ‘left’ or ‘fallen’, etc. were inserted.
In the Saffron Walden circuit, the first roll-books began to be kept in 1850-51: cross-checking against the 1851 census enables a reconstruction of the age, sex, marital status, household, occupation etc of those who joined the chapels.
It becomes clear what a great impact the ‘Prims’ made on villages, for the vast majority of their members were typically agricultural labourers who chose to join. Note that, for every member, there were about three ‘hearers’ who merely attended services but may not have been able to afford becoming a member.
Here are the lists of members of the Hempstead Chapel at the dates shown
HEMPSTEAD PRIMITIVE METHODISTS: 1857-8;1858-9;1860-1:
- George Andrews
- Harriet Andrews
- Jane Andrews
- Samuel Andrews
- Aaron Belsham
- Elijah Brazier
- Meller Brazier
- Peter Brazier
- Elijah Bye
- Ann Chapman
- Rebecca Chatters?
- William Clayden
- Elizabeth Coot
- William Coot
- Abraham Ford
- Ann Ford
- Luke Ford
- Clarissa Hales
- David Halls
- John Hills
- Henry Killingbeck
- Elizabeth Medcalf
- Susan Medcalf
- Elizabeth Mitchell
- Susan Mitchell
- Mary Moss
- Mary Pledger
- Nehemiah Pledger
- Nathaniel Plumb
- Susan Plumb
- Emma Purkis
- George Purkis
- Harriet Purkiss
- Jeremiah Purkiss
- Mary Purkiss
- Sarah Purkis
- Stephen Purkis
- Julia Reader
- Mary Ann Reader
- William Reader
- Catherine Ruttland
- Deborah Ruttland
- Eliza Ruttland
- Elizabeth Saville
- Samuel Saville
- Hannah Smith
- Aaron Sorrell
- John Sorrel
- Mary Sorrel
- Susan Sorrel
- John Stubings
- Mary Stubings
- Joseph Surrage
- Josiah Surrage
- Mary Surrage
- John Ward
- Mary Ward
HEMPSTEAD PRIMITIVE METHODISTS, 1872-3:
- Bye, Elijah
- Brazier, Elijah
- Buttle, Elijah
- Clayden, Emily
- Claydon, Edward
- Killingrey, Mary
- Johnson, John
- Mintlock, Martha
- Stone, Matilda
- Ruttland, Ellen
- Smith, John
(Source: recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk )
