John Wesley in Swansea and Gower

Goat Street, Swansea the first Wesleyan Chapel was built during 1789.

Portrait painted by George Romney, 1789 

John Wesley was an English cleric, theologian and evangelist, was the leader of the revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism.   John, son of Samuel and Susanna Wesley was born, 1703, Epworth.  All the children, 15 in total were given an education.  They were expected to become proficient in Greek and Latin, and they were expected to learn major portions of the New Testament by heart.

Aged 18, 1720, John entered Christ Church, Oxford.  After gaining his degree in 1724, John stayed to study for his Masters.  1725, John was ordinated as a deacon.  John returned back to Epworth, during 1727 after obtaining his Masters. For the next two years he was parish curate.

1735, John with his brother, Charles journeyed to Province of Georgia on The Simmonds.  They had been requested by James Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony.  Oglethorpe wanted John to be the ministry of the newly formed Savannah parish. 

December 1737, John returned back to the United Kingdom after fleeing the colony after his missionary work there was not successful. During his time in the American colonies, John was influenced by the Moravain church. 

1739, John broke away from the Moravain church, and formed the Methodist Society with his brother Charles and George Whitfield.  Over the next 50 years John travelled the country as a preacher.

In his diary of August 1763, John wrote

Friday 26^th – We designed to take horse at four (from Haverfordwest), but the rain poured down so that one could scarcely look out.  About six, however, we set out and rode through heavy rain to St. Clare.  Having then little hopes of crossing the sands, we determined to go round by Carmarthen; but the hostler told us we might save several miles by going to Llansteffan’s Ferry. We came thither about noon, where a good woman informed us the boat was aground and would not pass till evening, so, we judged it best to go by Carmarthen still.  But when we had ridden three or four miles, I recollected that I had heard of a ford which save us some miles’ riding.  We inquired of an old man, who soon mounted his horse, showed us the way, and rode through the rive before us.

Soon after, my mare dropped a shoe, which event occasioned so much loss of time that we could not ride the sands but were obliged to go round through a miserable road to Llanellos.  To med the matter, out guide lose his way, both before we came to Llanellos and after, so that it was as much as we could do to reach Bocher Ferry a little after sunset.  Knowing it was impossible then to reach Penresse, as we designed, we went on straight to Swansea.

July 1777

Monday 21^st – Having been much pressed to preach at Jaterson, a colliery, six or seven miles from Pembroke, I began soon after seven.  The house was presently filled and all the space about the doors and windows: and the poor people drank in every word. I had finished my sermon, when a gentleman, violently pressing in, bade the people get home and mind their business.  As he used some bad words, my driver spoke to him.  He fiercely said, “Do you think I need to be taught by a chaise-boy?” the lady replying “Really, Sir, I do think so”.  The conversation ended.

In the evening I preached in the market-place at Carmarthen, to such another congregation as I had before: and my heart was so enlarged towards them, that I continued preaching a full hour.

Tuesday 22^nd – I preached at Llanelly about one, and at Swansea in the evening.

August 1779

Tuesday 24^th – Setting out immediately after preaching, about eight, I preached at Kidwelly, about nine miles from Carmarthen, to a very civil and unaffected congregation.  At eleven, though the sun was intensely hot, I stood at the end of the church-yard in Llanelly, and took the occasion from a passing-bell, strongly to enforce those words “It is appointed unto men once to die” About six I preached at Swansea to a large congregation, without feeling any weariness.

May 1781

Tuesday 8^th – I had a large congregational at Llanelly and at Swansea.  Some months since, there were abundance of hearers at Neath: but, on a sudden, one lying tongue set the society on fire, till almost half of them were scattered away. But as all, offended or not offended, were at the town-hall, I took the opportunity of strongly enforcing the Apostle’s words “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice”. I believe God sealed his word on many hearts; and we shall have better days at Neath

August 1788

Monday 25^th – I spent another night at Carmarthen very agreeably.  Tuesday 26^th, I preached at Kidwelly at nine. Between twelve and one at Llanelly, to all gentry in the town: and in the evening to a multitude of people at Swansea.

John also made visits to Gower.  Where he wrote in his diary for 1764

October Tuesday 31^st – We set out for Glamorganshire and rode up and down steep and stoney mountains and about five hours to Larn.  Having procured a pretty read passage there, we went off to Llansteffan-Ferry; where we were in some danger of being swallowed up in the mud before we could reach the water. Between one and two we reached Kidwelly, having been there seven hours on horseback, in which time, we could have rode around Carmarthen, with more ease, both to man and beast.  I have therefore taken my leave of these ferries: considering we save no time by crossing them (not even when we have a ready passage), and so have all the trouble, danger, and expanse, clear gains. I wonder that any man of common sense, who have once made the experiment, should ever ride from Pembroke to Swansea any other way than by Carmarthen.

An honest man at Kidwelly, told us there was no difficulty in riding in sands.  So, we rode.  In ten minutes, one overtook us who used to guide persons over them.  And it was well he did, or in all probability, we had been swallowed up.  The whole sands are at least ten miles over, with many streams of quicksand intermixed.  But our guide was thoroughly acquainted with them, and with the road on the other side. By his help, between five and six, we came well tired to Oxwych in Gower.

Gower is a large tract of land, bounded by Brecknockshire on the north-east, and the sea on the south-west, and rivers on the other sides.  Here all the people talk English, and are, in general, the most plain, loving people in Wales.  It is therefore no wonder that they receive the word with all readiness of the heart.

Knowing they were scattered up and down, I had sent two persons on Sunday, that they might be there early on Monday, and so sent notice of my coming all over the country. But they came to Oxwych source to a quarter of an hour before me, so that the poor people had no notice at all. Nor was there any to take us in the person with whom the Preacher used to lodge being three miles out of town.  After I stayed awhile in the street, (for there was no public house) a poor woman gave me house-room. Having had nothing since breakfast, I was very willing to eat and drink: but she simply tole me “She had nothing in the house but a dram of gin”.  However, I afterwards procured a dish of tea at another house, and much refreshed. About seven I preached to another little company and again in the morning. They were all attention; so that even for the sake of this handful of people, I did not regret my labour.

It was during 1789, that the first Wesleyan Chapel was established.  In Gower, the Wesleyan Methodism roots, begin even-earlier Puritan tradition of the Protestant Dissent first introduced into the Gower during the 1650s.

The Wesleyan Chapel in Great Pitton was erected in 1833 in Lower Pitton on land leased from Mary Beynon of Great Pitton Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cambrian
13th April 1888

It was during 1888, Rev. Thomas Cook, came Swansea, and had a night meeting at Wesley Chapel, College-Street.  See additional newspaper article, The Cambrian, 13^th April 1888.

John Wesley died March 1791, he died a poor man, and he is buried at Wesley’s Chapel, London.

So, who was this Thomas Cook?  Thomas Cook, was the English businessman and the founder of the travel agency, Thomas Cook & Son.

Thomas Cook, who was born 1808, Derbyshire, had been brought up as a strict Baptist, and becoming a Baptist missionary touring the region and local villages.

1833, after moving Thorncroft, Leicester, Thomas, was influenced by the local Baptist minister that he took the temperance pledge.  The idea to offer excursions, came to him while walking from Market Harborough to Leicester to attend a meeting of the Temperance Society. He arranged his first excursion, on 5^th July 1841, a group of temperance campaigners at a cost of one shilling to travel from Leicester Campbell Street railway station to a teetotal rally in Loughborough.

The rest is as they say history.  Thomas Cook, died a year after John, 1792.



Sketty Methodist Chapel
Artist impression, 1876

The Sketty Methodist Chapel, Dillwyn Street, was built in 1875 and opened 1876.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1921, the War Memorial, to those men who were living in Sketty and lost their lives during the First World War, was dedicated.  One off the names commemorated, Stephen Lamont.  He was feature in a future blog.

During the Second World War, the Wesley Chapel, College Street was destroyed during the Swansea Blitz 1941.