A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



that Ingham had been preaching an hour before him." Moravianism in 

 Yorkshire left permanent influence in the settlement of Fulneck, near Pudsey, 

 founded in 1748 ; but its success in opposition to Methodism was tem- 

 porary.'^ At Great Horton in 1745 Wesley found eighty of its disciples 

 reduced to ' scarce ten : ' the remainder presumably, as at Tadcaster, had 

 thrown in their lot with him." Opposition from those in authority was 

 more formidable. In 1744 Nelson was imprisoned at Bradford and York ; 

 he tells us that the publicans of Birstal united with the vicar in procuring 

 his arrest." Twice on Easter Day, 1747, at Heworth and Acomb, he was 

 stoned by a York mob, and at Acomb was stamped upon and left for dead by 

 a zealous opponent.*" Wesley was stoned at Leeds in September 1745 and 

 the following January.*^ In 1748 a mob from Colne attacked him at Rough 

 Lee, on the edge of Lancashire ; and no redress could be obtained from the 

 magistrate.'^ His first visit to Hull (1752) was marked by a riot in which 

 ' many behaved as if possessed by Moloch,' and he and Mrs. Wesley were 

 forced to take refuge in the coach of a lady, and drive from the field with 

 missiles pouring through the windows.^' As late as 1757 the mob at Hud- 

 dersfield ' appeared just ready to devour ' him.'* Wesley welcomed danger, 

 and in later years often deplored the lack of persecution. Even in 1748, 

 when he had most to fear from the crowd, he found the Methodists of 

 Armley ' quite unnerved by the constant sunshine.' *' 



Between 1742 and 1790 Wesley paid no less than forty-two visits to 

 the north of England, including on each occasion one or two visits to York- 

 shire. At first he visited chiefly the neighbourhood of Birstal and Sheffield, 

 where Methodism had been planted by David Taylor, subsequently a 

 Moravian. *" In 1743 he was invited to Wensley by the vicar, Mr. Clayton. 

 His sermon puzzled the parishioners 'but, at length, one deeper learned than 

 the rest, brought them all clearly over to his opinion, that he was a Presbyterian 

 papist.'" His first visit to Cleveland was in 1745, when he went three 

 times to Osmotherley.*' In 1752 he extended his field eastward to Hull and 

 Pocklington." He was at Robin Hood's Bay in 1753,°° and thenceforward 

 there were few parts of Yorkshire which his pastoral visits did not include. 

 His energy was extraordinary. On 15 April 1745, after preaching at Northal- 

 lerton in the evening, he consented to ride over to Osmotherley and preach 



" Wesley, Journal {e.A. F. W. Macdonald), i, 376 (3 June 1742). 



" Wesley went to look at Fulneck, while it was being built, ii, 6, 17 (29 Apr. 1747). He was shown 

 over the settlement 17 Apr. 1780 ; and his distrust of Moravianism is manifest in the comment, ' But can 

 they lay up treasure on earth, and at the same time lay up treasure in heaven i ' (iv, I 80). 



" Wesley, ibid, i, 497 (25 Apr. 1745). The reference to Tadcaster occurs iii, 262 (23 July 1766). 



" Southey, Lifi cf ll'nUy (ed. 1890), 278 seq. : the account is taken from Nelsofl's journals. Cf. Wesley, 

 op. cit. i, 468 (15 May 1744). ^•elson was pressed for a soldier; his recusancy involved imprisonment, 

 lie was delivered by the intercession of Lady Huntingdon. 



*" Wesley, ibid, ii, 15, 16 (20 Apr. 1747). 



*' Ibid, i, 522, 544, 545 (12 Sept. 1745 ; 21 Jan. 1745-O). 



^ Ibid, ii, 74 seq. (25 Aug. 1748). '^ Ibid, ii, 223, 224 (24 Apr. 1752). 



*' Ibid, ii, 3-4 (9 May 1737). » Ibid, ii, 73 (20 Aug. 1748). 



** ^^■esley's first visit to Sheffield is recorded by him, ibid, i, 381, 382 (14-18 June 1752). 



"Ibid, i, 447 (30 Oct. 1743). From a note of 14 June 1744 (iv, 18) it would seem that the 

 Moravians had done pioneer work for \\'esley in these parts before dissension arose. 



■"Ibid. 1,494, 5^2' 5^7 ('5 Apr., 16 Sept., 21 Oct. 174;). On his first visit he exclaims on the 

 wisdom of God in bringing him, ' without any care or thought of mine, into the centre of the PapisU in 

 Yorkshire.' 



'' Ibid, ii, 223, 224 (24, 25 Apr. 1752). See note 83, above. 



"Ibid, ii, 255 (8 M.iy 1753). 



74 



