See also: Nonconformist Churches
Methodists are Protestant evangelicals, laying stress on personal experience of the forgiveness of sins, and on the authority of the Bible. Like many other evangelical movements, Methodism has split many times over the course of its history: secessions from the main body include the Methodist New Connexion, the Primitive Methodist Connexion, the Bible Christians, the Protestant Methodists, and the United Methodist Free Churches. The New Connexion, the Bible Christians and the United Methodist Free Churches reunited in 1907 as the United Methodist Church. In 1932 the Wesleyans, the Primitives and the United Methodists became a single organisation.
The supreme governing body of the church is the Methodist Conference. Beneath that the church is comprised of Districts, each with its own synod, and beneath those are Circuits - groups of societies (churches and chapels) which share staff and ministers.
Cambridgeshire Archives
We hold original documents of:
Cambridge Wesleyan Circuit including chapels in Cambridge, Chesterton Cottenham, Foxton, Histon, Longstanton, Meldreth, Orwell, Quy, Toft, Royston, Swaffham, Waterbeach, Whaddon and Willingham
Cambridge Primitive Methodist Circuit including chapels in Cambridge, Childerley Gate, Dry Drayton, Fen Ditton, Haslingfield, Sawston
Ely Circuit including chapels in Coveney, Downham, Ely, Haddenham, Littleport, Brandon Bank (Norfolk), Sedge Fen (Suffolk)
Fenland Circuit including chapels in Benwick,,Chatteris , Doddington, Guyhirn Manea, March, Outwell, Upwell
Mildenhall Circuit
Newmarket Circuit
Soham Circuit
Thetford Circuit
Wickhambrook Circuit including chapels Ashley, Burwell, Dullingham, Fordham, Isleham, Kirtling, Newmarket, Soham, Wicken,Barrow (Suffolk), Bernadiston Chapel (Suffolk), Cheverington (Suffolk), Cowlinge Chapel (Suffolk), Dalham (Suffolk), Exning, Freckenham (Suffolk), Icklingham (Suffolk), Kentford (Suffolk), Mildenhall (Suffolk), Beckrow, Burnt Fen, Holywell Row,West Row, Gross Bank Chapel, Moulton, Ousden (Suffolk), Tuddenham (Suffolk), Wickhambrook (Suffolk), Saxon Street, (Suffolk)
Wisbech Circuit including chapels in Elm, Fridaybridge, Guyhirn, Harold Bridge, Leverington, March Murrow, Parson Drove, Tholomas Drove (Wisbech St. Mary), Tydd Gote Tydd St. Giles, Wisbech, Wisbech St. Mary, Long Sutton (Lincolnshire) Sutton St. Mary (Lincolnshire), Tydd St. Mary (Lincolnshire) South Eau Bank (Whaplode, Lincolnshire), Emneth (Norfolk), Kirkgate Street Walsoken, Norfolk), Marshland St. James (Norfolk),Tilney Fen End (Tilney St. Lawrence, Norfolk), Tilney St. Lawrence (Norfolk) Walpole Highway (Norfolk), Walpole March (Norfolk), Walpole St. Andrew (Norfolk), Walton Highway (Norfolk), West Walton (Norfolk)
Some Cambridgeshire chapel records are held at the County Record Office in Huntingdon, as they were on Huntingdonshire-based circuits:
Huntingdon Methodist Circuit includes chapels in Fen Drayton and Papworth Everard.
St. Ives Circuit includes records relating to Swavesey chapel.
Huntingdonshire Archives
John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of the Methodist movement, visited Huntingdonshire many times. His first recorded visit was to Godmanchester in the winter of 1774; Methodist chapels followed at Huntingdon in 1779, St Ives in 1792, and St Neots in 1794. By 1851 Methodism was the largest nonconformist group in the county, boasting 43 chapels.
We hold original documents of:
- Alconbury Wesleyan Chapel
- Catworth Wesleyan Chapel
- Earith Wesleyan Methodist Church
- Easton (Wesleyan) Methodist Chapel
- Fenstanton Primitive Methodist Church
- Great Gidding (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Hilton (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Huntingdon (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Huntingdon [and St Ives] Wesleyan Methodist Circuit
- Huntingdonshire Mission Circuit
- Needingworth (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Over (Primitive) Methodist Church
- Ramsey Heights (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Kings Ripton (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- St Ives (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- St Ives (East Street) Primitive Methodist Chapel
- St Ives Primitive Methodist Circuit
- St Neots Primitive Methodist Chapel
- St Neots Wesleyan Chapel
- Sawtry Wesleyan Methodist Guild
- Somersham (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Stibbington Methodist Chapel
- Upwood Wesleyan Chapel
- Warboys (Wesleyan) Methodist Church
- Woodston Primitive Chapel
Some of the documents of these churches are closed to public access. In addition to these records, we also hold microfilm copies of some other Methodist records.
Please follow the link in the right hand column to see a list of Methodist records currently held at Huntingdonshire Archives.