Curnock, Nehemiah
1840-1915; e.m. 1860
WM minister, son of a minister of the same name (1810-1869; e.m. 1834), he was born at Great Bridge, Tipton on 30 March 1840. As editor of the Methodist Recorder from 1886 to 1906, he oversaw a new era of conservatism. He helped to prepare the Methodist Hymn Book (1904) and the Methodist School Hymnal (1911). He actively supported both Army chaplaincy and the work of NCH, of which he wrote a popular history. In retirement he made a major contribution to Methodist historiography by editing the 'Standard Edition' of John Wesley's Journal (1909-16), though he did not live to see the last two volumes off the press. He was the first to decipher and transcribe Wesley's diaries, a task more recently taken up and completed by the American scholar R.P. Heitzenrater. He died at Folkestone on 1 November 1915.
- Methodist Recorder, 4 & 11 Nov 1915
- WHS Proceedings, 10 p.93
- John Telford, in John Wesley, Journal, 'Standard Edition' (1909-16; Bicentenary reprint, 1938) 8 pp.349-50