Methodism began in the 1730s when John Wesley (1703-1791) founded what he called “religious societies”. Wesley preached widely across England, travelling round the whole country each year. He was supported by his brother Charles the hymnwriter and others, mostly laymen who became travelling preachers.
Methodists represented almost a quarter of the total church attendance of 10 million recorded in the 1851 Census of Religious Worship; the census is online via tinyurl.com/histpop-1851-religious-census although details of individual worshippers were not recorded. Numbers continued to increase in the late 19th century, but declined in the 20th century.
In the 18th century Methodists still thought of themselves as Anglicans. So baptisms, marriages and burials should be in Anglican records for that period, and often for a long time after.
Following Wesley’s death Methodism fractured into several denominations; the largest were the original Wesleyan
