Beckerlegge, Adolphus Frederick (1798-1866)

Primitive Methodist Magazine

Englesea Brook Museum ENBM 1990.21.22a

See comment below concerning this plan.

Supplied by David Leese

Early Life

Adolphus was born on 26 August 1798 in St Ives, Cornwall. His parents were Samuel Beckerleg (b1765) and Martha Hendy (1765-1855). Adolpus was the youngest of four children (3 boys and one girl). Interestingly his baptism record does not mention his father. He had a Grammar School education and worked as a watchmaker and jeweller in Penzance. He was converted during the Cornish revival of the 1820’s.

Ministry

Kendall records, ‘a commanding presence, a fine voice, a refined pronunciation, and as a preacher he was far beyond the average.’

The following quotation is attributed to Adolphus: ‘There is not money in the ministry, but there is the glory, and you must go for the glory.’

Family

Adolphus married Jane Leggo (1790-1874) on 26 December 1819 at Sancreed, nr Penzance.

He died on 29 Oct 1866 at Flushing, nr Falmouth, Cornwall.

Circuits

1828 Redruth
1829 St Austell
1830 Darlaston
1831 Nottingham
1833 Winster
1834 Leeds
1836 Bradford
1837 Swinefleet
1838 Louth
1839 York
1841 Scotter
1842 Grimsby
1844 Driffield
1846 Bridlington
1847 Rugby & Lutter
1848 Sheffield
1849 Winster
1851 Nottingham S
1853 Pocklington
1854 Hull l
1856 Grimsby
1857 St Ives
1860 Lynn
1861 Croydon
1862 St Ives (Sup)
1864 Penzance

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1852/65; 1867/8; 1896/123

H B Kendall, Origin and History of the PM Church, vol 2, p324

W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits , 1990

Author

Geoff Dickinson

Page added

07/08/2012

Comments about this page

Rev. Beckerlegge moved to Louth in 1838, staying for one year only. Prior to his arrival there had been the radical teetotaller Rev John Stamp, which was partly the cause of his subsequent removal from the PM travelling preachers.
In the journal Cirplan (Michaelmas 1996) the late William Leary commented on a Louth Circuit, Tee-total, Preachers’ plan from April to July 1839, in all aspects the same as other PM preaching plans of the time, — except for the title ‘tee-total.’
Leary concludes “There is no reference to temperance meetings on the plan, and one concludes that Beckerlegge was championing the cause for which Stamp was expelled, and which had at that time not gained popularity in Primitive Methodism.”
He describes it as a unique plan.
The plan includes a central silhouette of a person who it is supposed is Rev, Beckerlegge,
By David Leese (20/07/2023)