Obituaries

The various Methodist Magazines often published obituaries of leading members - Wesley himself was keen on the use of records of other's experience to guide members. The selection and writing of the obituary would appear to be the task of the Superintendent Minister, no doubt blue-penciled by the Magazine editor.

Wesleyan Methodist

Most of those to be found in the W.M. magazine prior to 1848 were included by J Rosser in Chap 6 of his History.

Primitive Methodist

The following table is based on the excellent card index to names in the Primitive Methodist Magazine (1820-1932 if include successors) in the John Rylands Library, Manchester - I have examined all entries prior to 1875; my estimate is that the index is about 90% complete (a few names below were not immediately obvious in the index and were found by perusal, it is possible that a more thorough search will locate a few more with Manx connections. As is usual with Manx names English indexers assume that no one can be named, for example, Quirk).

Unfortuneately these obituraries give very little biographical information; they tend to concentrate on the death (which had to be a 'good' end otherwise they would not have been included !). They seldom give occupation or even place of residence.