John Wesley–Methodism | book of fair copies of 52 letters, mostly unpublished, mostly autograph, 1742-1747

John Wesley–Methodism

Book of fair copies of 52 letters, mostly unpublished, many in Wesley’s hand, 1742-1747

52 fair copies of letters by John Wesley, addressed to various recipients from Newcastle, dated February 23 1742 – March 13 1747, mostly autograph letters signed, others plausibly in Charles Wesley’s hand, plus 8 pages of related material, circa 100 pages in all, 4to, contemporary vellum, light spotting and browning at extremities, some early gatherings becoming loose, binding slightly soiled

THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL COLLECTION OF (MOSTLY) UNPUBLISHED LETTERS BY JOHN WESLEY TO BE OFFERED AT AUCTION, 49 (of 52) unrecorded by the Wesley Works Editorial Project, which lists just 63 extant letters composed between February 1742 and 1747.

Three hands are present. The majority of the correspondence is in the hand of John Wesley himself (letters 1-45, 48, 49, 50, 52, plus 1p 'Proposals for printing by subscription these volumes of Moral and Sacred Poems: Collected from Various Authors'). Other letters (47, 51) are plausibly in Charles Wesley's autograph, and a 6pp draft of a sermon appears to be written in Charles's hand, with corrections by John. A single letter (46) is written in a third hand, perhaps that of an amanuensis. 

Whilst Wesley was a prolific letter writer, ‘much of his correspondence was private’ and ‘only a small percentage of Wesley’s letters have been preserved’ (Campbell). This correspondence documents Wesley’s early attempts to establish his base in the North East, revealing the dynamic between Wesley and his contemporaries including George Whitfield, women in his ministry, emerging Methodist networks, and family members. Addressees include Wesley’s traveling companion and secretary John Meriton (letter 4), Sarah Perrin (letter 40), William Horner (letter 5), Revd. John Hutchings (letter 19), Thomas Glascott (letter 27), Thomas Butts (letter 30), and John Stephenson (letter 38). 

Wesley tussled with George Whitfield over issues of Calvinist predestination in c.1740, but a letter of December 9 1742 addressed ‘To The Revd. Mr. Whitef.’ extends an olive branch of ‘peace between me and Thee, and between my people and thy People’, expressing 'no inclination to controversy of any kind', and acknowledging that 'Many Calvinists are in our Society here' (letter 17). A later letter (addressee unknown) of February 1743 declares that ‘there is no one Point where I differ from the Moravian Breth[re]n wherein Mr. Whitfield does not differ from them too’ (letter 29).

Other letters convey excitement about the burgeoning Methodist movement whilst revealing the logistical challenges of establishing regional bases. On November 30 1742, Wesley declares that ‘Our Society here consists now of seven hundred and ten persons, & more are pressing in every Day. the Word of the Lord runs & is glorified greatly’, although the same letter bemoans the 'wretched Management' of West Country ministers (letter 11), and another composed on the same day frets about 'Schism' amongst his brethren. In one of two letters addressed to the Mayor of Newcastle, dated July 12 1743, he is forced to absolve his followers from blame for causing a ‘tumult’ whilst preaching on the Sand-hill in Newcastle (letter 44).

Some of the most interesting letters reveal Wesley's attitudes towards women in his ministry. Writing to 'Mrs Rawlins, Bristol' on 16 November 1742, he tenderly urges her to ‘See that Molly Francis & you be as one soul. Take care of the little ones' (letter 1). He encourages an active role for pioneering female exhorter Sarah Perrin, instructing her to visit the sick of Bristol alongside Sarah Colston (letter 40). (Sarah Perrin would later be proposed as a possible spouse for John's brother Charles).

Together, this correspondence conveys the sense of a scrupulous, rational thinker, but also occasionally reveals a complex character who was willing to do whatever was needed to grow his ministry.

LITERATURE

Campbell, ‘John Wesley as diarist and correspondent’, Cambridge Companion to John Wesley

PROVENANCE

Presented by John Wesley to Joseph Cownley (1723-1792), a talented Wesleyan Methodist preacher in regular correspondence with Wesley; presented by Cownley to Wesleyan preacher John Gaulter (1764-1839): manuscript note in Gaulter's hand to front pastedown detailing early provenance ('These letters were co[llected?] by the Revd Mr John Wesley, and by him given to the Revd Mr Jos Cownley, who presented them to me as a memorial of his love and friendship. NCastle July 15.1792. JGaulter'); Revd. Dr. Robert Alder (1796-1873), Methodist minister and (later) Anglican priest, who 'watched vigorously over the growth of the Methodist organization in the Maritime provinces' (Dictionary of Canadian Biography); thence from Alder's widow to her granddaughter Miss Alton; presented by Alton to the Wesleyan minister and naturalist Reverend Hilderic Friend (1851-1940): manuscript note to front free endpaper ('This interesting property became the property of Rev. Dr. Alder, whose widow presented it to her granddaughter, Miss Alton, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Alton Wesleyan Minister. In July 1891 Miss Alton sent the volume to the Rev. Hilderic Friend').