Graham, John (1799-1885)

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Kendall

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Kendall

A transcription of obituary published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by L.J. Harvey is attached.

Harvey records:
“Few men were more honoured than he in the soul-saving work. The aggregate increase of members on his circuits, so far as can be ascertained, was 1,797. In most of the circuits where he spent the major part of his ministerial career, the journeys were very long and fatiguing, homes often poor and fare scanty, difficulties formidable, trials numerous, sorrows great, and enemies both without and within the church many and bitter, but he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Sometimes having no place to lay his head, he would walk the lanes all night, and when completely worn out he has lain under a hay-stack and slept. . . . 

Our now sainted father in Israel was a hard worker. He was always devising or carrying out some scheme for the well-being of the churches under his care. He could not rest and be thankful; he believed this life was the scene of action, not an arbour for repose. The walking, visiting, preaching, collecting, and praying he did are simply marvellous. He had a wondrously strong physical constitution, and great powers of endurance, otherwise he would have broken down long before he did.”

Family

John was born in 1799 at Giggleswick, Yorkshire.

He married Margaret Warriner (b abt 1798) in 1825. Census returns identify four children.

• Mary A (b abt1826) – married William Bratt in 1845
• Nancy (1829-1900) – married William Mycock, a butcher, in 1855; married Thomas Rowbotham, a butcher, in 1874
• Samuel (1834-1911) – a joiner
• Martha (b abt1836)

He married Margaret (b abt1809)

He married Jane Brassington (abt1821-1887) in the summer of 1878 at Congleton, Cheshire.

Kendall records that Jane was credited with having a remarkable dream, by which she was assured of the death of Hugh Bourne before anyone in Congleton knew of the event.

John died on 19 February 1885 at Congleton, Cheshire.

Circuits

• 1826 Isle of Man
• 1828 Keighley
• 1829 Bradwell
• 1831 Stockport
• 1832 Belper
• 1833 Chesterfield
• 1834 Shrewsbury
• 1835 Hopton Bank
• 1836 Ludlow
• 1840 Tunstall
• 1842 Dudley
• 1844 Birmingham
• 1846 Lichfield
• 1849 Ramsor
• 1851 Cwm
• 1852 Macclesfield
• 1854 Sandbach
• 1859 Dawley
• 1860 Congleton
• 1862 Bromsgrove
• 1863 Dudley
• 1864 Darlaston
• 1866 Darlaston (S)
• 1868 West Bromwich
• 1869 Haslingden II
• 1871 Northwich
• 1873 Foxhill Bank
• 1874 Macclesfield
• 1877 Sheffield II
• 1878 Macclesfield
• 1879 Congleton

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1885/483

PM Minutes 1885/8

J Petty, The History of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, 1880, p490

H B Kendall, Origin and History of the PM Church, vol 1, p543

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers