Methodist Society Members 1781-1802: Wibsey Bank
 

We are told that around the beginning of the 19th century Wibsey was a "Bye word" for rudeness and vulgarity. In 1816 some members of Wesley Place Chapel in Low Moor urged their friends in Wibsey on the importance of doing something to "uplift the people of Wibsey". A Sunday School was started and a building erected in 1821 but it was not until 1838 that a church was built.

Wibsey Bank had a class in the Methodist society and membership is known from 1781 to 1802. This was probably at Bankfoot, some way from the village centre. There is evidence in the early Baptism Registers at Wesley Place that some of the members of this class attended the church at Low Moor after it was built in 1809. Before the society built it's first church, class meetings would have taken place in homes or public buildings under a leader.
The table here is extracted from entries in the books of the Methodist Society in Bradford Archives. The unlined and unnumbered pages carry the information of all the local societies in the Bradford area and sometimes beyond.
The book gives the state of class membership for thirteen separate years over a 22 year period. A grey cell means that person is listed as being amongst the membership for that particular year.
Jonas Lightowler was leader of the class throughout this period, though William Heap is listed as joint leader for 1784.
Over the years, the name the class was entered under differed. In 1781 and 1783, it is entered as Bank Top, Wibsey Bank Foot in 1784 and 1788, Wibsey Bank in 1792 to 1795, Odsal from 1797 to 1801 and lastly Wibsey Bankfoot again in 1802.
There are wide variations in the spelling of names in these books. We have standardised the names here but spelling variations are listed under the 'Notes' column. The listings were usually made in June. The earlier records give the most information about members while the latter years just give name and surname.

 
Name Surname Status Occupation Notes 1781 1783 1784 1788 1790 1792 1794 1795 1797 1799 1800 1801 1802
Jonas LIGHTOWLER m weaver Ldr                          
Hannah LIGHTOWLER m   Ann 1802                          
John WILKINSON m weaver                            
Sarah WILKINSON m                              
Joshua or Joseph WILKINSON m                              
Eleanor WILKINSON m weaver                            
Isaac WILKINSON m   Wilkison                          
Betty WILKINSON m                              
Jeremiah GELDER m weaver Gilder                          
Mary GELDER m   Gilder                          
William POOL m                              
Sarah POOL m                              
Grace POOL m                              
Martha KELLET u                              
Hannah KELLET u                              
Grace KELLET u                              
John BOOTH m                              
Mary BARKER m                              
William HEAP m   Local preacher & joint leader 1784                          
Mary SHUTT w   lame 1792                          
Sarah SHUTT m                              
Mary STOCKS m                              
Martha WALTON m   Wolton                          
Joseph JACKSON m                              
John JACKSON m                              
Ann JACKSON m   Hannah, Anna                          
Grace JACKSON                                
Hannah JACKSON                                
Sarah SHARP m                              
Joseph HAIGH m                              
Sarah HAIGH m                              
George HAIGH u                              
James WORSNOP m   Worsnip                          
Grace WORSNOP m   Worsnip                          
Thomas WORSNOP m   Worsnip                          
Abraham WILKINSON u                              
Rebecca BAISTOW m                              
Elizabeth PRIESTLEY u                              
Jonathan SCOTT u                              
Mary PRIESTLEY m                              
Sarah WARDMAN m                              
Sarah WORSNOP m   Worsnip                          
Jonathan HOLDEN u                              
Jonathan BAISTOW m                              
Richard BOYS m   Boyce                          
Jonas WORSNOP u                              
Joseph MITCHELL m   Mitchel                          
Sarah POLLARD w                              
Isaac BASTOW m   Baistow                          
Matthew LIGHTOWLER m   Lightoulder, Lightowlers                          
Martha WALTON u                              
Abraham WORSNOP m                              
Hannah GREENOUGH m   Greenhalgh                          
John KITSON m                              
Hannah KERSHAW w   Kirshaw                          
Mary WOOLER                                
John TAYLOR                                
Mary TAYLOR                                
J s WORSNOP                                
Job SWAILES                                
Isaac HANSON                                
John PEEL     Pool                          
Mary BAKES                                
Martha WORSNOP                                
Solomon SWAILES                                
Sarah SWAILES                                
Hannah WILKINSON                                
Grace WARDMAN                                
Martha WILSON                                
Mary ROBERTSHAW                                
Sarah ROBERTSHAW                                
Jane PRICE                                
John WILKINSON                                
Caleb BREAKS     Brakes, Brooks                          
Mary BREAKS     Brakes                          
James PRIESTLEY                                
Ann PRIESTLEY                                
Sarah HEAP                                
Sarah BOWER                                
John CARR                                
Martha CARR                                
Mercy WILKINSON                                
Dorothy PEEL                                
Mary BOOTH                                
Martha WHEATER                                
Martha NORTHEN                                
Mary BELL                                
Elizabeth WILKINSON                                
Mary BEAN                                
Henry CLARK                                
Elizabeth CLARK                                

 

 

 

HOME