He was born at Ripon where, in 1774, in spite of opposition from family and friends, he joined the Methodists and soon became a local preacher. A shoemaker by trade, he moved in 1787 to Leeds, where his conspicuous literary activities led to his becoming the librarian of the Methodist Library. In 1794 he became a bookseller and his shop became the centre for the distribution of *Kilhamite pamphlets and also The Monitor, the forerunner of the MNC Magazine. He attended the first MNC confConference in Ebenezer Chapel, Leeds, was appointed Book Steward and the following year Connexional Editor, an office he held until 1801. As a preacher, with an illustrative and emotional style, he was very popular, shoing a rare ability to adapt himself to all classes of hearers. He wrote The Analytical Compendium, or outlines of sermons (Leeds, 1799)

Entry written by: DCD
Category: Person
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