History - Epworth and John Wesley

Epworth's main claim to fame, is that it was the birthplace of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, who was born at the Old Rectory in 1703, along with his hymn writing brother Charles who was born in 1707. He returned many times to Epworth, giving sermon's from the Market Cross and from his father, Samuel's tomb, next to St Andrew's church. Samuel was the rector of Epworth from 1696 to 1735.

The Wesley Guest House offers 4 Star luxury guest house accommodation in the rural town of Epworth, North Lincolnshire. Located in the Isle of Axholme, so called, because until its drainage, by the Dutch engineer Vermuyden from 1627- 1629, it was an inland island surrounded by rivers.

The bustling centre of the town is based around the Market Place, Fountain Court and High Street areas. There are many businesses and shops, including gift and clothes shops, a bank, estate agents, cafes, some pub's, bakers, local newspaper offices, a supermarket, butchers, florists, beauticians and the Epworth Society's Heritage Centre in the Mechanics Institute building.

The most likely derivation of the name, Epworth, is that it is formed from two Anglo-Saxon words, "Heape" meaning "small hill", or "rising ground" and "urde" meaning, "farm". Therefore the definition means, the farm on the hill, which is most appropriate, as the town lies on one of the few hills in the area, much of Isle being only a few meters above sea level, and some of it below. The town is referred to in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as Epeurde.

The Birth of Methodism - Key Dates

1703 - John Wesley born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England
1709 - Fire at Epworth Rectory - John Wesley rescued
1714 - Admitted to Charterhouse School, London
1720 - Undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford
1725 - Ordained deacon
1726 - Elected Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford
1735 - Missionary in Georgia, returning 1737
1738 - Aldersgate experience: "I felt my heart strangely warmed."
1739 - Commences outdoor preaching
1744 - First Methodist Conference
1751 - Marriage to Mrs Mary Vazeille (separated 1755)
1791 - Died on 3 March at City Road, London

About the proprietor Graham Wilson

WILSON was a baptismal name 'the son of Will' an ancient and still popular personal name. The name was also locational and there are places so called in counties Devon and Leicester. Local names usually denoted where a man held his land. Early records of the name mention Adam Wyllson, who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Edward Wilson of County Lancashire, registered at Oxford University in the year 1604. John Wilson (1785-1854) was a professor at Edinburgh University and a notable literary critic.

The name was taken early to Scotland by settlers and early records in Scotland mention John Wulson who was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Mountgomery in 1405. Michael Wilsoun was burgess of Irvine in the year of 1418. Thomas Wolsoun was documented as a tenant of Neubotel Abbey in 1563. The northern Wilsons are ranked as a sept of Clan Gunn, through George Gunn's son William, who flourished in the fifteenth century. Since the dawn of civilisation the need to communicate has been a prime drive of all higher mankind. The more organised the social structure became, the more urgent the need to name places, objects and situations essential to the survival and existence of the social unit. From this common stem arose the requirements to identify families, tribes and individual members evolving into a pattern in evidence today.

In the formation of this history, common usage of customs, trades, locations, patronymic and generic terms were often adopted as surnames. The demands of bureaucracy formally introduced by feudal lords in the 11th century, to define the boundaries and families within their fiefdoms, crystallized the need for personal identification and accountability, and surnames became in general use from this time onwards. The earliest hereditary surnames in England are found shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and are of Norman French origin rather than native English. On the arrival of the Normans they identified themselves by references to the estates from which they came from in northern France. These names moved rapidly on with their bearers into Scotland and Ireland. Others of the Norman Invaders took names from the estates in England which they had newly acquired. The name was very common in Glasgow in the sixteenth century. This is by far the most numerous English and Scottish name in Ireland, and is found mainly in Ulster.