Day 42 - Newcastle Upon Tyne

We return today to continue in the footsteps of the Wesley's and a 65 mile drive to Newcastle. John trip to Newcastle in 1742 marked a change in his itinerant life.  It was after much prayer and careful weighing, of all objections, he felt that he could still adhere to the views expressed in a letter to his friend, the Rev. James Hervey, some time before, and printed in his journal  (the famous phrase is found on the memorial tablet erected to John & Charles Wesley in  Westminster Abbey:) “I look upon all the world as my parish.” that he embarked on travelling to the North of England. Newcastle-upon-Tyne was to become Wesley's northern 'cornerstone'. in England, and with with Bristol and London, Newcastle formed the 'Wesley Triangle'. He visited Newcastle over 50 times, often staying for several weeks.

Wesley recorded his first visit to Newcastle in his Journal. 

Sunday 30th May 1742 - ‘At seven in the morning I walked down to Sandgate, the poorest and most contemptible part of the town, and standing at the end of the street with John Taylor, began to sing the hundredth psalm’. 

He preached again that evening to a large crowd.

Today an obelisk in "Wesley Square", a open space on the Quayside immediately in front of the Law Courts marks the spot. We were somewhat surprised to find that it was in the middle of a "pop-up" summer "beach", complete with beach huts and deck chairs! - Did you know that prototype deckchairs made their first appearance in Margate, Kent in 1898? Wesley Square is opposite the new Millennium "Blinking eye" bridge.

The Keelmen Hospital

Nearby in City Road is the Keelmen Hospital. Keels were wooden coal boats with a pointed stern John Wesley described Keelmen as: "much given to drunkenness and swearing".
Keelmen wore  distinctive uniform: blue jacket, yellow waistcoat, bell-bottom trousers and blue bonnet. The hospital built in 1701c  through contributions from the crews, comprises of a cloister of 50 chambers around a grassed courtyard for sick and aged keelmen and their families.
The Hospital became an early site for John Wesley's preaching services and  Charles, was appointed by the Keelmen to be their chaplain on his first extended visit in 1742.It became an important base for both John and Charles Wesley, Charles was  the founder of the first Tyneside Methodist Society. Unfortunately today the building has been abandoned after being used for several years as student accommodation, and is on the "At Risk" heritage register. Although we walked along City Road we couldn't find the building, this maybe in part due to the various building works/hoardings that are taking place.

Keelmen Hospital - Photo: Peter Maddiscon

The Orphan House

Only a blue plaque remains on the wall of the closed Banks Clothing shop in Northumberland street marks the site of John Wesley's Orphan House, although it never was an orphanage it was the second Methodist Chapel that Wesley built opening on 25th March 1743.The Orphan House was just outside the old town wall and was under threat from the cannon sited on the Pilgrim Street Gate at the time of the Jacobite threat in 1745. However the building survived but was demolished in 1856 and replaced by the Wesleyan Orphan House Schools until they were demolished in the 1950's.

Brunswick Church

Round the corner from the Orphan House site  is Bunswick Methodist Church, which this year is celebrating its 195 church anniversary. They have embarked on an extensive refurbishment to include a new entrance area with cafe.. Brunswick succeeded the Orphan House as the mother church of Methodist in north east England. In 1980, following amalgamation with Central, the former Primitive Methodist city centre church on Northumberland Road, the gallery was floored out and the ground floor is now used for many and diverse community activities. We received a very warm welcome from the cafe volunteers as we enjoyed lunch, and had a guided tour of the church and vestry - to view some of the historical memorabilia and paintings.

Brunswick Methodist Church

Worship Area

New entrance & Cafe area opened 2014

Methodist Memorabilia display in the Church Vestry

St Andrews Church

It is a well recorded fact that John Wesley was unlucky in love. He left Georgia in America under a cloud after upsetting the Governors daughter, In Newcastle he decided to ask Grace Murray, a widow who was housekeeper at the Orphan House to marry him. Charles got wind of this and did not approve and so engineered that she married John Bennet, a Methodist lay preacher, at St Andrews Church before John could do anything. Charles often preached at St Andrews when in Newcastle and to ensure the union between them he officiated at the wedding held at St Andrews church! John was not happy, and later he married a wealthy widow, Mrs Mary 'Molly' Vazielle. It was not a happy union and they separated. However Molly had a daughter, Jane, who married a Mr William Smith. John was very fond of Jane, who often accompanied him on his travels. William also became a long standing friend as well as becoming a leading member of the early Methodist community in Newcastle. his portrait hangs in the vestry of Brunswick church. Both William and Jane are buried in St Andrews graveyard. St Andrew is the oldest church in Newcastle.

Grave of William & Jane Smith

Tomorrow we move on to Clumber Park our final destination, where Stephen is joining us on Sunday for a few days. This gives us the opportunity to visit Lincoln and Epworth the birth place of the Wesley's.