The Wesleyan Methodist Historic Roll

Following the death of John Wesley in 1791, his followers broke away from the Anglican Church and formed the Wesleyan Church, although over the years smaller sects were formed.  Even so the Church remained by far the largest of all the Methodist groups.  In 1897 Mr Robert William Perks, Liberal MP for Louth in Lincolnshire, a leading layman, proposed the setting up of a fund to raise one million guineas from one million Wesleyans to purchase a site in Central London, build a world centre of Wesleyan Methodism and expand the mission of the Church.

The Fund was officially launched in 1898.  Initially no one was allowed to donate more than one guinea [£1.1s.0d now £1.05] but donors could make additional donations “In Memoriam” for loved ones who had died or moved away from home.  The Fund Raising committee decided to ask all donors to write their names and addresses on special pages which were distributed to all Wesleyan Churches and Circuits in England, Wales, Scotland and Overseas.  When the pages were returned, they were bound into 50 volumes which were called “The Historic Roll”.

The Wesleyan Methodist Historic Roll comprises over 17,500 pages containing the names of more than one million people who contributed one guinea to the Wesleyan Methodist Twentieth Century Fund, colloquially called the Million Guinea Fund.

There are also pages that were completed by Sunday School scholars who had donated one shilling [5p].  The children would have saved their farthings and halfpennies to collect their shillings for which they received a John Wesley medallion.  The Children’s Collection raised £4,162 and 90,000 medallions were struck.

Sunday School scholars received a Medallion like this after collecting one shilling

Adult donors who had contributed at least a guinea received a signed certificate printed on thin card as their official receipt.

By the time the Fund closed in 1909 it had raised £1,073,682.  £250,000 of this amount was set aside as a contribution towards the purchase of the Royal Aquarium opposite the west door of Westminster Abbey as a site to construct the Central Hall Westminster (1909–1912) as a church and world centre for Wesleyan Methodists.

The majority of the fund was applied in furthering the mission of the Church at home and overseas, in particular in areas of social need where the worship of the Church could be matched by social action.

In 2002, the 50 volumes, which are located at Westminster Methodist Central Hall in London, were copied onto microfiche making it possible for researchers and visitors to obtain photocopies of the individual pages or to purchase microfiche relating to individual churches, circuits or districts of Wesleyan Methodism.

The table below is taken from Volume 7 of the Historic Roll which contains those pages received from Rushden.  Many of the names are of those stalwarts who worshipped at Park Road in the latter part of the 19^th century and the first part of the 20^th century and who contributed to the cause of the Million Guinea Fund at the same time that fundraising was in full swing in Rushden to construct their own new building in Park Road.

Louise Abbott 6 Woburn Place, Rushden Amy Agnes Austin 19 Moor Road, Rushden A George Ball 23 East Grove, Rushden Herbert Fred Ball 23 East Grove, Rushden Rose Annie Ball 23 East Grove, Rushden Albert Ernest Bates Grove Street, Rushden Annie Battersby High Street, Rushden George W Battersby High Street, Rushden Frederick Betts 14 Queen Street, Rushden George Roland Bozeat 5 Roberts Street James William Bright Beaconsfield Terrace, Rushden Lena Bright Beaconsfield Terrace, Rushden Sarah Button Park Road, Rushden John George Capon 124 High Street, Rushden Sarah Capon High Street, Rushden Wilfred Ernest Capon 124 High Street, Rushden William Charles Capon High Street, Rushden Annie G Causebrook Alfred Street Lilian Causebrook 15 Alfred Street, Rushden Charlotte Chilton In Memoriam Alice Clark 8 Brookfield Road, Rushden Ethel Clark 8 Brookfield Road, Rushden L Clark 8 Brookfield Road, Rushden John Claypole In Memoriam Sarah Claypole In Memoriam Sarah Elizabeth Clements 17 Crabb Street, Rushden Lilian Clews 45 Victoria Road, Rushden Charles Cross Rushden Charles Cunnington In Memoriam Clara Elizabeth Cunnington In Memoriam Eliza Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Elizabeth Jane Cunnington Griffith Street, Rushden Isaac Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Louisa Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Mabel Frances Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Susannah Cunnington Griffith Street, Rushden Susannah Cunnington Griffith Street, Rushden Thomas D Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Winifred Mary Cunnington Park Road, Rushden Doris Mary Cure Windmill Road, Rushden James William Cure Windmill Road, Rushden Martha Jane Cure Windmill Road, Rushden Mary Elizabeth Cure In Memoriam William Joseph Cure Windmill Road, Rushden Amelia Desboro 2 Beaconsfield Terrace, Rushden Albert Lee Fillingham Park Road Manse, Rushden Annie Elizabeth Fillingham Park Road Manse, Rushden Annie Greta Fillingham 'Jesus called a little child to Him' February 19th 1899 Abraham Gadsby Rushden Ellen Gadsby Rushden Alice Gibbs 31 North Street, Rushden Ellen Gibbs 31 North Street, Rushden Florrie Haddon 13 Park Place, Rushden George Hankins 10 Brookfield Road, Rushden Tom Hankins 10 Brookfield Road, Rushden Jane Herald In Memoriam Edith Maud Mary Hewitt 11 Windmill Road, Rushden John Hewitt 11 Windmill Road, Rushden William James Hewitt 11 Windmill Road, Rushden Leonard Hodby 11 Windmill Road, Rushden Charles William Horrell 3 Fitzwilliam Street, Rushden Mary Anne Horrell 3 Fitzwilliam Street, Rushden Mary Elizabeth Horrell In Memoriam William Mac Carthy Horrell 3 Fitzwilliam Street, Rushden James Knock 32 Midland Road, Rushden Joseph Albert Langley High Street, Rushden H Litchfield Manton Road, Rushden Ann Alice Miller 6 Wentworth Road George Henry Mitchell 2 Park Place, Park Road, Rushden Edith A Nattrass Moor Road, Rushden John S L Nattrass 22 Moor Road, Rushden Florence Osborne 14 Winchester Road, Rushden Elizabeth Pack Thrift Street, Higham Ferrers Rev W Pack In Memoriam Samuel Pack Thrift Street, Higham Ferrers Sarah Jane Ruth Perkins Wymington Ida L Scott 14 Queen Street, Rushden Mary Scott In Memoriam Philip Serfman High Street, Rushden Alfred Short 14 Pratt Road, Rushden Elizabeth Short 14 Pratt Road, Rushden Ethel Rosa Short 14 Pratt Road, Rushden William Charles Small 45 Queen Street, Rushden Eliza Smith 28 Montague Street, Rushden Jane Smith 1 Griffith Street W Smith Cromwell Road Gertrude Source 7 Victoria Road, Rushden Herbert Cecil Staniland 88 High Street, Rushden Edith Mary Thornton Rushden Herbert Tomlin 43 Victoria Road, Rushden Fred Ward 11 Fitzwilliam Street. Local Preacher Mary E Waring 14 Dayton Street, Rushden Ann Cooper Watson Gas Works, Rushden Christian M Watson Gas Works Road, Rushden Grace Rundle Watson Gas Works, Rushden Helen Watson Gas Works Road, Rushden Thomas Watson Gas Works, Rushden Herbert White 1 Brookfield Road, Rushden Jacob Wilkins Midland Road, Rushden Mirriam Wilkins Midland Road, Rushden Annie Wooding 34 Midland Road, Rushden Charles Stephen Wooding 34 Midland Road, Rushden George Wooding 34 Midland Road, Rushden Herbert William Wooding 34 Midland Road, Rushden

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