b'and surprisingly the only place which had a larger groupof 92. It was a brave thing to do as there were only than Bishop Wilton was Acklam, where there were14 members, and it resulted in an outstanding debt of 91. 13 50. 16As has been described, Primitive Methodism arrivedThis chapel is very familiar to us in the village as it on the Wolds by 1818, brought by William Clowes; heis now used as the village shop. It had a capacity of kept a Journal of his work and noted on 3rd October100, with 60 in pews and 40 free sitting. At that time 1819: the Wesleyan chapel was in debt for an amount of 80I held a prayer-meeting next morning, andwith interest running at 5%; they did manage to get good was done. Onwards I proceeded, andthis down to 50 over the next 20 years, but it was spoke at Riverbridge, Market Weighton,hard going. 17 The Primitives stressed simplicity in their Melbourne, Seaton, Bishop Wilton, andchapels and their worship, and concentrated their work Bugthorpe. At the latter place I called at aon the rural poor, and were active politically as a result public-house, and asked liberty to pray withof their beliefs.18the family, which was granted; and I left theMethodism continued to be popular in the area. In inmates weeping. At Bishop Wilton I preached1844 there was a big camp meeting at Driffield with in a croft belonging to Dr Meggison. I thenservices starting at 8am. Villagers converged from made my way to Pocklington, and preached30 miles around. 19 At that time Wesleyan preachers in the market-place to a vast multitude; in therode round their circuits on horseback whereas Prims evening I spoke in a barn, the property of Mrwalked. Preachers often carried books to sell on their John Moore 14 rounds. They visited 30 families per week on average. 20It is worth noting that the Dr Megginson mentionedIn 1863 there was a plea from the Pocklington in this Journal item is listed as one of the TrusteesCircuit to the Hull District Meeting and to the of the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in 1810; he hadConference of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, presumably become a Primitive by 1819. obviously very alarmed at the success of their In 1820 there were two applications for buildings inmissioning:Bishop Wilton to be certified as meeting houses, oneThe following is our extraordinary or peculiar the dwelling-house of Robert Megginson, and the othercase:We desire to enlarge our chapel at the barn of John Todd 15 . Quite how this ties in with theBishop Wilton. Through the mercy of God we fact that the Wesleyan Chapel already existed by thathave had a very gracious revival of Religion time I am not sure. at this place extending over 10 weeks, and The Primitive Methodist Chapel (referred to asit continues, and our numbers on the books Beaulah) was built between 1835 and 1838 at a costhave increased from 35 to 67 members; and yet our chapel is capable of sitting only 100 persons, and there is in the village a population of about 800 souls. We desire to retain Bro. James Dawson [for a 4th year]. 1st Should he be removed there will necessarily be a delay in the enlargement that will greatly militate against the interests of the society. 2ndly As he, Mr Dawson, has less or more been connected with the present revival from the beginning and knows the inhabitants well, he will do better than a stranger would be likely to do. 21It does say in the Neaves book on The Primitive Methodist Chapel, called Beaulah (now the Village Shop) on the far right, in a detail from an old postcard.13Circuit Schedule Book, Beverley Archives, Ref: MRP/1/1614Rev. H B Kendall (Edwin Dalton, 1905) The Origin and History of the Primitive Methodist Church15Register of Meeting Houses 1816-1834, Borthwick Institute, York16Circuit Reports, Beverley Archives, Ref: MRP/4/2717Chapel Book, Beverley Archives, Ref: MRP/1/1618Internet: www.methodist.org.uk/factsheets19Woodcock op. cit20Circuit Reports, Beverley Archives, Ref: MRP/4/2721Circuit Reports, Beverley Archives, Ref: MRP/4/27186 BULLETIN 11'