Wesleyan Methodists - Hetton Le Hole, Houghton Le Spring, Easington

[Joney]

I seem to have spent most of the weekend looking for late nineteenth century Wesleyan Baptism registers in Durham Record Office Catalogue with a complete lack of success.

Can someone put me out of my misery and tell me where these records might be ? If they are definitely still with the churches, can some kind person give me contact addresses for the churches I'm interested in ? The records I really want are for Hetton, Houghton and Easington as in the heading above. All information gratefully received. This research concerns my husband's family, so as he didn't know much to start with, progress has been very slow. I know I want Wesleyan Methodists because we have a hymn book upstairs so marked.

Joney

[stanmapstone]

can some kind person give me contact addresses for the churches I'm interested in ? The records I really want are for Hetton, Houghton and Easington as in the heading above.

In 1932 the Wesleyans joined with the Primitive Methodists and United Methodists to form the Methodist Church.

To find a church see http://www.methodist.org.uk/links/find-a-church

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Where are the records of a specific Methodist Church? See
http://www.methodistheritage.org.uk/research-circuitarchives.htm
Church Webmap Advanced Version http://www.methodist.org.uk/links/church-webmap-advanced-version
Stan

[Joney]

Thank you again. I got very cross with the Durham Record Office website, because I could see a list of all sorts of Methodist churches, but there was no clue to where any of them were. eg. Wesleyan Methodist Church, Front Street but no town specified after that.

You'd think they wanted to make searching difficult

[2zpool]

They are not making it difficult.  In the Methodist church back then a minister might have as many as 5 churches in an area.  The records for baptisms would be in a book/register that that one minister had so all the baptisms for all 5 churches would be in there.  Also many of those Methodist churches may have met in someone's home or a hall or someplace rented. 

Durham County Record office has the registers and they have been microfilmed and also FODCRO (Friends of the Durham County Record Office) has transcribed many of them for purchase.  Many are on CD and several on Microfiche.  I have many of them.  Who are you looking for and maybe a general area?  I don't know that the Easington area is among their holdings but Thornely(Wingate) is.  Other areas were Tow Law, Coxhoe, Chester-le-Street, Coundon, Gateshead, Shildon, Shotley Bridge, Spennymoor.

Durhamrecordsonline also has some Methodist records transcribed but it is a pay site and can be totally worth it.

Janis

[Joney]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I  am looking for a family called Brown, who seem to have been based in Hetton in the 19th century. James Allan (usually with 2 letter 'L's) Brown was born 19th Dec 1889 , at 3 Maudlin Street,  Downs, Hetton Le Hole. Father is John James Brown, mother Hannah,  formerly Holmes. There are two older brothers , Joseph registered June quarter 1888 and John William Brown registered December quarter 1886, both like James at Houghton Le Spring.

Because of the far-too-common surname and lack of any real knowledge of the family before 1914,  getting further back  has proved more difficult than I expected.  I am interested in Easington because of another line, but I  am only aware of the Browns being in Hetton and Houghton to date. John James Brown and family are again in Maudlin Street, Hetton, in the 1891 census and John James who is 24, gives Hetton as his birthplace, whereas Hannah is from Sunderland. 

Thanks for your interest,
Joney

[barryd]

Try this site. As you can see Barnard Castle records for Wesleyan Methodists has now been added.
Free Index search.

http://www.durhamrecordsonline.com/index.php?q=1&cookiecheck=1

[Joney]

Thanks, but I have tried looking on that site previously -with a complete lack of success.
Joney

[suzanna]

There is a site I have used in the past, it is a pay per view site, but as reasonable as others I would think.  It is called Durham Records Online.  It can be a bit confusing as opposed to Durham Council records, but I have to say it is a wonderful site with lots of interesting articles as well. I found the following result for my great grandfather
Christening 21st April 1847 • Wesleyn Methodist, Shotley Bridge, Durham
Joseph Knox = parents Andrew Knox and Sarah. 
I think it later appeared on ancestry as well or familysearch.
Hope this helps, Suzanna