Wallis, George (1810-1894)

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1855
Copy provided by Steven Carter

Early years

George was born in 1810 at Wooton Bassett, Wiltshire to parents Jesse and Sarah. He was baptised on 7 April 1810 at Wooton Bassett.

George was converted during a revival at Wooton Bassett at the age of 19.

Ministry

George was appointed to begin missionary work in Andover and its surrounds in the Spring of 1833. Petty relates that on many occasions preaching was interrupted by violent objectors. On 19 May 1833, the beadle and constable were involved in driving the preachers out of town. George and his colleagues persisted and were eventually able to develop a society. The Andover mission was made a separate circuit in March 1837 with 340 members and four travelling preachers. In 1838 a neat chapel was erected in a good position.

David Young provides more background in his pages on Andover and Longparish.

Ritson relates that on one occasion George was drenched with bullock’s blood!

When the first chapel was built in the village of Peasemoor, George did the bricklaying during the day, and told the stroy of the Cross in the evening.

Family

George married Harriet Maslin (b1818) in October 1837. Census returns identify four children.

  • Ellen (1840-1886) – married Edward Meager Spinney, a blacksmith and wheelwright.
  • Lydia Adelaide (1845-1907) – married Thomas Reeve, a PM Minister
  • Theophilus (1846-1927) – a PM minister
  • Frederick George (1850-1923) – a PM minister

George married Fanny Masters (1812-1877) in 1857 at Highworth, Wiltshire.

George died on 12 March 1894 at Newbury, Berkshire.

Circuits

  • 1831 Brinkworth
  • 1832 Shefford
  • 1837 Andover
  • 1839 Micheldever
  • 1842 Farringdon
  • 1845 Banbury
  • 1848 Wallingford
  • 1851 Farringdon
  • 1855 Brinkworth
  • 1858 Farringdon
  • 1860 Leamington
  • 1863 Basingstoke
  • 1867 Newbury
  • 1870 Newbury (S)

Obituary

Newbury Weekly News, 18 March 1894

THE REV. G. WALLIS

The deceased who for 39 years had been in the active ministry of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, and for 24 years a supernumerary, died on Monday morning, at his residence in Priory-road, at the advanced age of 84.

Sixty three years ago, when a young man of twenty-one, he was sent from Wiltshire to assist in the newly-opened mission in Berkshire and Hampshire. In the latter county he was subjected to brutal treatment from infuriated mobs for no other offence than that of preaching of the gospel. He lived however to see the hostility shown in this infant community, entirely cease, while the devoted labours of himself and his colleagues have been so blessed that the Primitive Methodist chapels and preaching places in the county are probably more numerous than of any other Nonconformist body. Mr Wallis has been laid aside for several years, through increasing physical and mental infirmity.

The funeral takes place tomorrow (Friday), a memorial service will be held at the Primitive Methodist Church at 2.45.

[Died 12 March 1894 aged 84. Also wife Fanny Wallis died 1 July 1877 aged 64]

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1853/264; 1855/385 (portrait); 1894/615

PM Minutes 1894/26

J Petty, The History of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, 1880, p332-7

H B Kendall, Origin and History of the PM Church, vol 2, p332 , p336, p341

Joseph Ritson, The Romance of Primitive Methodism , 1909, p167

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

The Friends of Newtown Road Cemetery

 

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