He was born on 9 July 1756 in Limerick, where he joined the Methodist society following John Wesley's visit in 1773. After travelling for five years in Irish circuits at his own expense, he was accepted for the English work and in 1782 was the first Irish preacher to be received into full connexion. Just two years later he was one of those named in the Deed of Declaration. He retired to Liverpool in 1824. He is mainly remembered for his Chronological History of the Methodists (1798; 4th enlarged edition 1813), which usefully included in its list of the itinerant preachers those who had left or been expelled from the ministry. He also wrote a life of William Grimshaw (1806). He died in Liverpool on 17 April 1828.

Entry written by: JAV
Category: Person
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