An Alternative Axholme History - Part 7 Samuel's Shock Treatment
The folk of Epworth suffered shell-shock when their worthy man of the cloth, the Rev Samuel Wesley, arrived on the scene.
Talk about a new broom sweeps clean — this spiritual brush quickly swept away many a long established habit.
Old Sam, as the Market Place sages dubbed him, was an absolute demon
for seeing that his flock behaved in a proper and seemly manner.
So it was not long before this thoroughly dynamic cleric had visited every resident in his domain and his check up included the barbarians on the Turbary and even the wild and most inhospitable natives of far flung and desolate Wroot.
Samuel's bull in a china shop style got up many a nose and the congregation at St Andrew's dwindled to a mere handful, so much so that the Rector's own family made up half of them.
But Samuel persisted in his clean-up and some of the Epworth loose livers and ne'er-do-wells did reform themselves a little.
Others left the parish altogether not wishing to suffer the indignity of standing barefoot on the church flags as a penance for their
unsatisfactory conduct.
Folk got a break when Mr Wesley was called to London for a very long stay. While he was away his wife set up church in her own kitchen at the Rectory. Her meetings went like a bomb and they were always packed.
Now her hubby was infuriated when he got back at home and he soon put paid to Susanna's new venture. However, by this time his wife's good work was done and things began to look up. Many of Susanna's flock now went to St Andrew's and from then on things went well and before very long there was even a 50 strong choir.
Mr Wesley felt sorry for the kids who were bagged by local farmers for cheap labour when they ought to have been at school.
But there was no school for them so Samuel got a few town worthies together and they got a fund up and built a Free School near the crossroads.
Twenty kids got free tuition there but they always had to go to church every Sunday morning along with their schoolmates.
Samuel was a very busy man in fathering 19 children, more or less at the average of one every year. If he felt tired it was far worse for his long-suffering wife. Perhaps in some ways, it was a blessing that nine of these children died in infancy.
The Rector's three lads did very well for themselves and all of them were put through public schools of the very best and also University too.
All three fellows were straight-laced Anglicans, but later, after wonderful experiences of Divine grace, John and Charles set up a sect called Methodism and it never looked back. They were really forced to do this because their new ideas were not thought fit for the Anglican establishment.
The Wesley's seven lasses were bright enough but for at least six of them, life turned out to be a tragic affair. There were jiltings, cheating and lost lovers all along the line. There were arguments galore with their parents as Mr Wesley remained as strict and adamant as ever.
When his daughter, Hetty, got pregnant from her elopement her dad just disowned her. He had nothing to do with her for the rest of her days.
Epworth never forgot Mr Wesley's reign of 40 years as Rector and they have always kept his grave in good order.
Next week in Part 8 - Neighbourhood Watch
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Weather for Epworth
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
