Johnson, Joseph (1848-1912)

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1912
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1932

Early years

Joseph was born on 21 November 1848 at Acton Grange, nr Daresbury, Cheshire to parents Peter and Ann. Peter was a farmer.

Joseph was brought up in the Anglican Church and was a scholar, and later a teacher, in the Sunday School. He was brought in touch with the Primitive Methodists and converted at the age of fifteen under the labours of Mr J Whitley, a local preacher. Joseph joined the PM Society at Moore in the Preston Brook circuit.

Joseph commenced to preach when nineteen years old and was at once employed as a hired local preacher at Peel, Isle of Man. He recommended for the ministry by the Peel circuit and placed on the reserve list. The General Missionary Committee sent him to Portadown, Ireland in 1869.

Ministry

In the first seventeen years of his ministry, Joseph worked on home missions. He loved mission work, open air preaching, and revival services and was privileged to see much success in those spheres.

At Dartmouth, George met with much opposition in the open air and was brought before the magistrates on the technical charge of obstruction, and fined. Refusing to pay the fine, he was being taken to Exeter prison, when someone paid for him, and relived the police from a task which was not very congenial to them.

Family

Joseph married Julia Corke (1854-1897) in late 1873 at Tunbridge Wells. Census returns identify three children.

  • Joseph (b1876)
  • Ann Lydia (b1886)
  • Elizabeth Julia (b1888)

Joseph married Jane Allister Brown (1857-1904) in late 1898 at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.

Joseph married Elizabeth Ann Coe (1856-1931) in the spring of 1906 at Leicester, Leicestershire. Elizabeth became a ‘Sister of the People’ in 1901 in the Leicester circuit.

Joseph died on 13 May 1912 at Ratby, Leicestershire.

Circuits

  • 1870 Tunbridge Wells
  • 1872 Sheerness
  • 1875 Yeovil
  • 1877 Bromyard
  • 1879 Merthyr Tydfil
  • 1880 S Molton
  • 1883 Dartmouth
  • 1886 Maidstone
  • 1889 Weymouth
  • 1890 Witney
  • 1892 Peaton Strand
  • 1893 Louth
  • 1896 Donington
  • 1898 Bottesford
  • 1900 Swinefleet
  • 1903 Kingstone
  • 1906 Lydney
  • 1909 Leicester (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907/255; 1912/654; 1932/187 (Elizabeth)

PM Minutes 1912/32

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

 

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