Wesleyan church records and home missionaries

[Gwebb1]

Hi.
As a new member, I am posting a topic for the first time so I hope I am doing it correctly!

The IGI records show a William Watson (parents: John and Mercy) being born 17 May 1815 and christened 4 Jun 1815 at Leeds Street Wesleyan Chapel, Liverpool. It seems a bit of an anomaly as all the rest of the family were baptised in Chester although his parents were married at St Nicholas's in 1798 and his older brother, Thomas (my ancestor) does subsequently move to Liverpool. Would love to see the original entry to check it's not an IGI error and to perhaps find out clues as to why the baptism seemed to have randomly occured in a Wesleyan chapel. I've no idea where to track the records down - can anyone help? I live in Bury so if anyone has the chance to look the record up, that would be brilliant.

Also, William's older brother, John, subsequently moves from Chester to Liverpool and is variously described as a 'town missionary' (1861 census) and a 'Wesleyan domestic missionary' (1871 census). Anyone come across these before?

Thanks in anticipation of your help.
Glenys Webb

[dickiesam]

Hi Glenys and welcome!
Town or Home missionaries were the good people who stayed in the towns and cities of England etc, spreading the word of Christianity. Scroll down to page 5 of this pdf doc for an insight into their good works.
http://www.connectinghistories.org.uk/b ... tories.pdf

There does appear to be a fairly strong Wesleyan connection in your family and perhaps it started with William's baptism. As for his parents marrying in St Nicholas, the established church, the Church of England, was at that time the only church that could marry people.

Regarding William's baptism, this is from FamilySearch so I reckon the IGI entry is accurate:
name: William Watson
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 04 Jun 1815
baptism/christening place: LEEDS STREET WESLEYAN, LIVERPOOL, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
birth date: 17 May 1815
father's name: John Watson
mother's name: Mercy Williams
indexing project (batch) number: C08836-1
system origin: England-ODM
source film number: 0560886 (RG4 1050)

If it is not available at the Liverpool Record Office, with the above Source Film Number you should be able to order and view a copy at your nearest Church of Latterday Saints Centre.

[Blue70]

This page on Family Search indicates that a viewable online image is available but on another site which is pay to view:-

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ54-H5K


Blue

[Hilary]

Liverpool Record Office has a film of Leeds Street Wesleyan Chapel

Births and baptisms 1801 - 1837
Burials 1805 - 1836
Its number is RO 1/31

It will be available at their temporary office on Floor 2 of the World Museum Liverpool

[Gwebb1]

Thank you so much for your prompt replies. I'll probably wait until I'm over in Liverpool and check the records there, now that I know where to find them.

As for my 'town missionary' - sounds as though he may have seen some interesting sights in his line of work!

Don't know if any of you have any views on this:
John Watson, who may have been born in Chester in 1776, marries Mercy in Liverpool in 1798. He is a roper. Between 1779 and 1813 they have 7 children, all baptised in Chester. Then along comes William who is born in 1815 and christened at the Wesleyan Chapel in Liverpool. Another child is then born in and baptised in Chester in 1820, a few months after John's death. The son born in 1813 was not christened until 1820, again after his father's death. Would it not have been more likely that he would have been christened at the same time as the one born in 1815?

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

Regards,
Glen

[dickiesam]

Don't know if any of you have any views on this:
John Watson, who may have been born in Chester in 1776, marries Mercy in Liverpool in 1798. He is a roper. Between 1779 and 1813 they have 7 children, all baptised in Chester. Then along comes William who is born in 1815 and christened at the Wesleyan Chapel in Liverpool. Another child is then born in and baptised in Chester in 1820, a few months after John's death. The son born in 1813 was not christened until 1820, again after his father's death. Would it not have been more likely that he would have been christened at the same time as the one born in 1815?
Any ideas would be gratefully received.
Regards,
Glen

Re William's baptism... I believe the family were in Liverpool when he was born probably because of his father's occupation.
From: http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/q-r.html#R
Roper: 1) Made rope or nets; 2) Cotton spinning operative.

The son not being baptised in 1813 may have simply been an oversight. Perhaps the family were on the move at the time.

[Gwebb1]

Thanks for all your help everyone - I've clarified my William Watson issues.

Now on to the next niggling issue..........!

Glen