Eastwood, John (1822-1898)

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1874

John was born in 1822 near Blackburn, Lancashire. His parents moved to a remote village in Yorkshire when he was a young child. In 1834 Primitive Methodist missionaries visited the village and were allowed to use the family kitchen for preaching purposes. John came into membership on 10 June 1835. At 16 years of age, John moved to a village in the Keighley circuit and for several years was an acceptable local preacher. He entered the ministry in 1845.

Ministry

Following superannuation John moved to New Brompton to be near his son, but he soon accepted invitations as a superannuated preacher. He spent a year in Bristol followed by 2 years in Northampton.

His obituary records that in the prime of his life John had a fine military bearing. He possessed splendid administration qualities. His peaceful disposition, calm manner and sound judgement were of great service to him as a superintendent and enabled him to manage the affairs of his circuits with credit and success. In his preaching he was faithful to the verities of the Gospel, and presented the great doctrines of Methodism with clearness and force.

Family

John married Mary Ann Aspinall (1824-1892) in the spring of 1850 at Bolton, Lancashire. Mary was the daughter of Thomas Aspinall a PM Minister. Census returns identify three children.

• Michael Thomas (1851-1900) – a PM Minister in 1871, converts to a Free Church Minister in 1872
• Theophilus Aspinall (1857-1935) – a railway clerk and later a dock agent
• Mary Ann (b1864) -married William Peel, an Anglican clergyman

John died on 16 January 1898 in Hartlepool, Co Durham and was buried with his wife at Dallington, nr Northampton.

Circuits

• 1846 New Mills
• 1847 Preston Brook
• 1848 Bolton
• 1851 Stockport
• 1852 Chorley
• 1853 Northwich
• 1855 Castletown
• 1856 Glossop
• 1859 Chester
• 1863 Oldham ll
• 1866 New Mills
• 1868 Bolton
• 1870 Liverpool lll
• 1871 Walkden
• 1874 Chester l
• 1876 Foxhill Bank
• 1879 Rochdale
• 1881 Maryport
• 1885 Gloucester
• 1887 Redruth
• 1889 New Brompton (S)
• 1890 Bristol ll
• 1891 Northampton l
• 1894 Cockermouth

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1874 (Portrait); 1898/385

PM Minutes 1898/11

The Primitive Methodist, 1898, p123

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers