WM minister and historian, born in Birmingham on 16 June 1829. He laid the foundations of Methodist work in Italy 1860-1862 and was Governor of Didsbury College, Manchester 1888-1900. As one of a small group of historians who strove to put Methodist historical studies on a more scholarly footing, he was the founder and first President of the Wesley Historical Society. He gave the Fernley Lecture on The Mission of Methodismin 1890 and published a life of Wesley, John Wesley Evangelist in 1905. His bibliographies of The Works of John and Charles Wesley (1896; enlarged edn, 1906) and of Anti-Methodist Publications (1902; revised edition by C.D. Field, 1991) provided valuable research tools. His advocacy led to the 'Standard Edition' of John Wesley's Journal edited by Nehemiah Curnock. He died in Birmingham on 19 September 1907.