Genealogy Chat

'2 becuase Thomas Naisbit was in the society' Gosh wonder who he was and what he'd done to upset them so bad! Thanks for the replies everybody, it has been very helpful and insightful indeed.

My father was baptised into the Primitive Methodist religion and he drank and gambled! But neither to excess! ;-) Cheers, Horatia

The Wesleys themselves were C of E, it was their followers who broke away quite a bit later In 1743, John Wesley went through the Newcastle list of those members and records that - The number of those expelled were 64 - 2 for cursing and swearing, 2 for habitual Sabath-breaking 17 for drunkeness 2 for retailing spiritous liquors 3 for quarrelling and brawling, 1 for beating his wife, 3 for habitual, wilful lying, 4 for railing and evil-speaking 1 for idleness and 29 for lightness and carelessness. 30 left for 14 of them left for their ministers would not give them the sacrement 9 because their husband or wife were not willing for them to stay in it 12 because their parents were not willing 5 because people said such bad thing about the society 9 because they would not be laughted at 3 because they would not lose the poor people's allowance 3 because they could not spare the time to come 2 because it was too far off 1 because she was afraid of falling into fits 1 becuase people were so rude in the streets 2 becuase Thomas Naisbit was in the society 1 because he would not turn his back on his baptism 1 because we were mere Church of England men 1 because it was time enough to serve God yet Things were very strict then! Anne

Methodists do have a long tradition of being teetotal though I'm not sure whether it originated specifically in 1 of the branches - there were the Wesleyans, Primitives and 1 more I think - or was across the board. Their belief was based around the damage that abuse of alcohol can cause - by not drinking they weren't encouraging others to drink - they viewed it as their social responsibility to avoid drink. Many Methodists do now drink but alcohol is still not allowed on church premises and, until relatively recently, (the 80s I think) wasn't allowed in manses. Some may have signed the pledge but I don't think that was just a Methodist thing. Hope that helps Kate (brought up in a very Methodist family but no longer TT!!!)

from my memories of attending a methodist church youth group, being baptised in one and my parents and grandparents all attending and being married in one, none of them are tee-total. I think strictly speaking as a methodist you should neither drink or gamble, but even a lot of people who may attend on a regular basis might not strictly abide by all the beliefs

You can read up on the subject here. http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/factsheets/fs_alcohol.htm Jennifer

- interesting question- just trying to Google to date it - have so far found that pubs were important in financing football, and that John Wesley's first campaign seems to have been against tea: This book though counselled moderation rather than abstinence (and noted indeed that an excess of cold is equally as damaging as an excess of heat). But a few decades later in 1748 John Wesley, the great preacher and founder of the Methodist movement, was arguing for complete absitinence from tea, on the grounds that it gave rise to 'numberless disorders, particularly those of a nervous kind'. He cited the example of himself, claiming that tea drinking had caused in him a 'Paralytick disorder', which had cleared up since he began to abstain from the beverage. Wesley urged that the money previously spent by an individual on tea should instead be given to the poor, and as an alternative hot infusions could be made from English herbs including sage or mint. His argument was certainly thorough (although medically entirely incorrect), and he even touched on how one ought to deal with the awkward situation of having to refuse an offered cup of tea. The tract is shot through with the emphasis on the religious importance of self-denial that was a central tenet of early Methodism, but in fact at later in his life Wesley went back to tea drinking. Hope to find something more relevant for you later...(but looks like OC has the answer for you)

Havent got my notes to hand, but there were two sorts of Methodists - the Church of England Methodists, which I think were the Wesleyans, and the other Methodists, which encompassed all kinds of Methodism.(And usually reveal themselves as Chapels) The C of E Methodists were not required to abstain from alcohol, nor sign the pledge. The hard linbe Methodist Sects DID thunder against the evils of alcohol, but no one was actually forced to sign the pledge. Your ancestor may have just been a token Methodist, and not a chapel goer. OC

Were they supposed to be anti alcohol? I vaguely remember from an episode of 'Who Do you Think You Are' the actress Jane Horrocks was from a long tradition of Methodists, and that they all signed a 'pledge' to abstain from alcohol for life. I even remember her visiting an 'alcohol free' beershop set up in her familys home town! This is strange because my 4xgreat grandfather was both christened and married in Weslyan church (as too was his wife), and all their children baptised there . So safe to assume they were Methodists. However on 1861 census his occupation is 'beer seller' landlord of the Robin Hood Pub!

..