Gorputz poesia: dantza eta poesia igarobidean

Only Widmerpool and Broughton Sulney (alternatively called Upper Broughton) were without Methodists in addition to other dissenting denominations. In both places, together with Keyworth, Normanton-on-Soar and Wysall, these had been established before Methodism arrived, while in Sutton Bonington and East Leake they emerged at approximately the same time. The dates of both are unknown in West Leake where there were no separate places of worship; only in Ruddington did the Wesleyans become established before 1800 and the General Baptists not until 1825.

It can be concluded therefore that the existence of other dissenting groups did not in general prevent the spread of Methodism. Three places were able to support three nonconformist denominations (Bingham, Ruddington and Sutton Bonington), all of which had large populations and high

population density. Overall it is clear that Methodism was strong in the whole of south Nottinghamshire, being present in 41 of the 59 places, and having more than one branch in 15 of these.

Overview

The key features of the south Nottinghamshire parishes are summarised in Table 2.2 below. Taking the number of small landowners as the guide feature and setting against it population density and dissent, a strong correlation is revealed between a higher number of small landowners and the existence of one or more dissenting denominations. Everywhere with more than five landowners had at least one dissenting group and of the 17 places with multiple landownership of ten or more, all but one had

longstanding Methodist Societies. Conversely dissent occurred in only two places where there were no small landowners.

Table 2.2 Comparative Features: Bingham and Rushcliffe Hundreds

Bingham 31 0.7 WM/IPM/Temperance

Christians

Hickling 28 0.23 WM

Ruddington 20 0.75 WM/PM/GB

Cropwell Bishop 19 0.41 WM

Orston 19 0.25 WM

Radcliffe-on-Trent 18 0.68 WM/IPM

Keyworth 18 0.44 PM/GB/Congregationalist

Car Colston 18 0.19 WM/IPM

Colston Bassett 7 0.14 PM/IPM/Roman Catholic

Shelford 6 0.24 WM/IPM

Key: WM – Wesleyan Methodist; PM – Primitive Methodist;

Kingston-on-Soar 0.15 WM

Ratcliffe-on-Soar 0.15

Clipston 0.09

Holme Pierrpont 0.08 WM

Elton 0.08

Thorpe-in-Glebis 0.04

Yet although the incidence of dissent lessened with the decrease in number of owners, in the majority of places with under six small landowners and Methodist Societies, these proved to be reasonably longstanding. Most places with more than one dissenting group had a larger number of landowners, although Sutton Bonington (three denominations) only had four.

Population density correlation was more varied but broadly indicated that multiple ownership related to a higher density and single large landowners to a lower density. These relationships were as anticipated from the literature²⁴ and confirmed that the Bingham and Rushcliffe Hundreds were an appropriate study area.

Method of Selection

Before devising a procedure for selection, it was decided to identify

Methodist circuits and the existence, or otherwise, of Methodist and parish records. Records in this context were defined as a collection of relevant documents of a quantity and quality likely to facilitate answering the questions forming the basis of the investigation; the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire archive offices were therefore consulted for both circuit and individual chapel records. Although by no means comprehensive,

identifying relevant circuit records showed the allocation of the majority of Wesleyan and Primitive chapels and also provided dates confirming the continued existence of three Societies not mentioned in the directories.

There were no separate circuit records for the Independent Primitive Methodists, although some of its Societies appeared in the Primitive

24 See above, Chapter 1, 34-36.

Methodist records before the separation. The relevant types of record, including parish records, are detailed in Table 2.3 below.

As expected, there were no records of any type relating to the whole period. Consequently, it was necessary to judge the potential value on the basis of both type and time span and it was decided those covering at least 30 years continuously would be regarded as long. The records were

assessed primarily on the information available in the catalogues and indices of the archive collections. The record collection for each place was then placed in one of four categories, as indicated in Table 2.4.²⁵ For the parish records, the time span was less significant because where a type of record existed at all, it usually covered a period exceeding 30 years. Since these also covered a much broader spectrum, with the extent of their precise relevance being uncertain, a slightly different categorization was used.

As the research progressed, a further source of information about both Anglicans and Methodists became available through the digitisation of the Nottinghamshire Guardian from 1849-1900.²⁶ This facilitated online searches for newspaper reports about the activities of the denominations and provided further rich information for all the places forming part of the detailed investigation.

25 See below, 84.

26

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?newspapertitle=nottinghamshire%2 0guardian&sortorder=dayearly, accessed 7.10.2012-12.2.2013

Table 2.3

Types of Circuit, Chapel and Parish Records Originating

Body

Type of Record Data within Record

Circuit

Quarterly schedules and reports

Membership statistics; sometimes names of members; names of class leaders; financial problems

Quarterly

meeting records

Starting & closing of Societies;

names of some office holders;

financial & property issues;

Identity of some local preachers;

changes in service patterns; names additions and deletions to plan;

issues re conduct Education

schedules

Existence of day &/or Sunday schools; numbers of scholars &

teachers; names of leaders Accounts Membership numbers; names of

class leaders & circuit stewards;

amounts collected from Societies;

changes of ministers; provisions re circuit debt (not all data in every document)

Property schedules

For each chapel – number of trustees; identity of treasurers;

sources of income, level of debt Records of

baptisms

Names of parents & children; dates of birth & baptism; sometimes occupation of father

Quarterly plans Chapels within circuit; times &

frequency of services & other events; identity of ministers & local preachers

Chapel

Deeds re building Identity of trustees, vendors of land

& price paid; location &

measurements of land; nature of trusts

Chapel accounts Identity of trustees; sources of income & types of expenditure;

membership numbers; names of class leaders; office holders (not all data in every document)

Registers of members

Names & periods of membership

Sunday school registers

Names of scholars, periods of attendance; reasons for leaving;

names of teachers; special events &

speakers Registers &

minutes for Sunday school teachers

Names & attendances of teachers;

Records of

Parish registers Baptism, marriage, burial information; names, dates &

occupations Overseers’

records

Identity of overseers & those allowing accounts;

Churchwardens’

accounts

Identity of c/w & those allowing a/c;

types of expenditure; church rates Constables’

accounts

Identity of constables; sometimes occupations

Vestry minutes Church rates;

maintenance/improvement etc. for parish church; those approving minutes

Miscellaneous records

Table 2.4

Categories for Record Collections

Originating Body Category Number and length of records Circuit & Chapel Extensive 2 long

1 long and 2 or more short Some 1 long and 1 short

3 or more short Few 1 long or 2 short

None 0

Parish Extensive 4 or more

Some 3

Few 1 or 2

None 0

Key: Long – covering at least 30 years continuously; accounts excluded Short – covering under 30 years continuously or over 30 years with gaps Adjustments made for occasional short parish records