23. Burslem Circuit

Burslem has exceptionally interesting connections with the beginnings of Primitive Methodism. William Clowes was born here on March 12th, 1780, in a cottage three minutes walk from the present Clowes Memorial Church. “In the Burslem Town Hall, in one of his plunges of dissipation, at a dancing party, he was convicted of his sinfulness, and very soon after, at a Wesleyan Methodist prayer meeting in Burslem, he was converted to God, January 20th, 1805” (Chappell). Burslem Wesleyan Methodist Quarterly Meeting excluded Hugh Bourne from Membership on June 27th, 1808, and dropped Clowes from the local preachers’ Plan and from membership in 1810, for participation in camp meetings. This occasioned the formation of the new Primitive Methodist Church, with Tunstall as its first society, but it was not until 1819 that a separate society was formed in Burslem. In that year a disused crate shop in Navigation Road was hired, and in 1823 a chapel was built on the site. Twenty years later Hugh Bourne secured Zoar Chapel in Nile Street, often called the old “Salt Box”; in 1879 the society transferred to the present Clowes Memorial Church.

Burslem was placed second on Tunstall plan in 1825, and with the several churches which grew up in the neighbourhood remained part of that circuit until 1900, when it was made an independent circuit, consisting of nine churches: Clowes Memorial, Dalehall, Sneyd Green, Smallthorne, Longbridge Hayes, Hot Lane, Wolstanton, Etruria, and Hamil Road. Its superintendent ministers have been: Revs. J.W. Chappell, James Griffin, Wm. Bennion, John Teece, Fred H. Edwards, Walter Tunley, Abel Taylor, John Wilson and T.R. Auty, B.D.; its second ministers: F. Claude Challice, Lewis Hancock, J. Edwin Woodfield, W.B. Bache, Jos. J. Hutchinson, Joseph H. Richmond and J.W. Pegman. Since 1920 it has been a one minister circuit. In 1913, Wolstanton Church was transferred to Newcastle Circuit, and subsequently Etruria was closed and sold. At the time of the formation of the new Circuit (1900) 330 members were reported, and although the two societies just mentioned have ceased to belong to it, 440 members are now reported. It has a strong staff of local preachers, with several young men “on note.” Very fine school work is being done, and in certain schools, full advantage of grading is taken. The stewards are Mr. H. Hawthorne and Mr. J.T. Hopkins, and the Circuit Secretary, Mr. J. Adshead.

T.R.A.