New Connexion Methodist Minister

[Susannah M]

Hi Lynda

Thanks for responding so quickly, sorry to hear about your Mother in Law's death; sadly people take so much family folk law with them don't they?

Here's what I've been able to establish so far and apologies if you've already gathered the same info:

Abraham was born in Oldham, Lancs in 1840. He married Clara Matilda Eames in September 1871 at the Percy Chapel in Bath (no longer there I'm afraid, now the Percy Community Centre).

At that time he was lodging at 7 Lansdown Road in Bath with John Goodenhugh, retired gardener and his wife Sarah together with their niece, Elizabeth Appleton who's position is given as 'servant'. Abraham was 31 and gives his occupation as Methodist New Connexion Minister. Clara was 19 when they married so some 12 years Abraham's junior.

They went on to have four children, Frederick b. 1875 at St Peter Port, Guernsey, address Holly Tree House. Alice b. 1877, Gilbert J b. 1880 and Harold E b, 1873. They had a servant living at Holly Tree house with them, Emily M Nicholle aged 18 in 1881.

I've located them all as living at Holly Tree House at St Peter Port from the 1881 census, Abraham would have been 41 years of age then and Clara 29, Alice was then 4 yrs, Frederick 6 yrs, Gilbert 1 year and Harold 8 years. I would love to know which of the children were your husband's grandfather/grandmother.

I next traced them to Bath in 1906 when they purchased our house from Eric E J Francis who was a tailor's cutter and the first ever resident. By the time Abraham and Clara moved to Bath Alice would have been 29 and possibly married (maddeningly Kelly's does not record females), Frederick was 31, Gilbert was 26 and Harold 33 - only Gilbert is registered as living here, his occupation was piano tuner so I daresay his piano was either in our front sitting room or back room ( now our dining room).

Gilbert was only here for one year when he moved two houses down (to a slightly larger end terrace house) and married - I wonder how the house was financed? it was either a very short engagement or he brought his wife with him and she is not recorded in Kellys? either way just Abraham and Clara lived here (probably with a maid of all work/daily cleaner) until 1920 when I lose track of them.

I thought Abraham may have died in 1920 but I recently discovered he went on to live until 1930, where I do not know, although it's relatively easy to get a death certificate which would give his address at death, you can also get a copy of his will as this is in the public domain, this would establish whether Clara and the children were still alive and where she lived.

As Harold, Gilbert and Frederick would all have been eligable for call up during WWI I wonder whether they all made it, clearly one of them did as your husband is a living descendant! although this could be through Alice's line?

I've contacted all Weslyan churches in Bath to establish where Abraham practiced/worked and will let you know if I uncover anything.

Extraordinarily whilst gardening on Sunday I unearthed a small clay pipe and the handle of a white china tea cup, and wondered whether Abraham, on a warm afternoon in 1906 stopped for a puff of his pipe whilst Clara deliverd a well earned cup of tea after a morning tending to his vegetable patch! (complete conjecture on my part).

If you are able to share any of Abraham and Clara's life I would be so grateful - we live in a 1900 terraced house - the icing on the cake would be a photo of them here/lease or titled documents/bill of sale or something connected to our house, you mention family photos in storage, I wonder if I can hope against hope that there's one of Abraham and Clara! or even Gilbert at our house? natuarally I would ensure they are copied and handled with the greatest care if you do find any.

Sorry you've reached an impasse with your search for your family, I do wish you good luck in your research - it took me ages to find you but it does prove that it's possible!

Best wishes

Susannah

[lynleach]

Hi Susannah,

Thanks for all the information you sent. Some of it I had discovered when looking up the Leach family, mainly from the census returns. When I found out that Abraham had been a Methodist minister in the New Connexion branch I then tried to find out about his work/ministry with them. As I couldn't find anything much I started this this thread to see if anyone could help. As you will have read the next step seemed to be the John Rylands Library in Manchester. I did hope to get there but as yet have not managed it! I used to live in Liverpool but moved up to West Cumbria 3 years ago (my husband works for British Nuclear Fuels at Sellafield). My family still live in Liverpool so I was hoping when I go to see them, I could make the trip over to Manchester.

I gather from your reply that you are not a relative but are researching the people who lived in your house (thats something I would love to do as our house dates back to the 1700's and it would be fascinating to find out who lived here before us). The last address I had for Abraham and Clara was from the 1901 census when they were living in Coppenhall Monks, Cheshire and the only child listed with them was Alice. You mentioned that they bought your house in 1906 so they obviously moved back to Bath between those dates.

My husband's line comes from Harold, his grandfather. Harold married a Portia Henrietta Macready (marvellous names ! ) and went on to have 5 children - Ernest, Arthur, Colin, Margaret and Alan. Arthur was my husband's father.
All the siblings, with the exception of Colin who emigrated to Australia in the 1950's, lived in Bath. My husband was born in Bath but after the death of his older brother Alan, who was sadly only 4 years old, they moved out to Stroud in Gloucestershire. Ernest had two children, one of which a daughter is still living in Bath. My husband has suggested that I should contact her as she has done a bit of family research and may be some help. I will do that later and any information she has that will be of any use to yourself, I will pass on. He thought that any photographs his mother had would be mainly her own family.

Harold Leach was an Organ Builder and bought the Sweetland Organ Company in Bath around 1905. His sons Ernest and Arthur went into the business with him and built organs around the country until the 1950's when they reduced the business to restoring existing organs. This is an area of the family's history my husband is most interested in, but as yet I haven't uncovered very much information.

So as yet I am not able to provide you with anything useful. But I will get in touch with my husband's cousin and see if she can shed any light on Abraham and Clara.

With best wishes,
Lynda.

[lynleach]

Hi Susannah,
I'm just checking that your house is in Rockcliffe Road?

Cheers,
Lynda.

[Susannah M]

Hi Lynda

Yes, we are in Rockliffe Road. Thanks so much for the information - during more research yesterday I found Portia and Harold who lived just two doors down from us, although this confuses earlier research showing Harold's brother Gilbert, living there. I also discoverd that Abraham lived to be 91, he was living in a village called Twerton just outside of Bath, sadly Clara died some 15 before him aged 76 - he certainly had a good innings!.

Have you looked at www.musicatgmc.org.uk/organ/sweetland this site gives information on the founder of the company and mentions that he sold it in 1902 (to Harold?) apparently organ building ceased in 1939 due to the war (all organ building in Britain ceased at this time as thefactories, machinery and skilled workforce if not of conscription age were taken over for war work

Thanks again for filling in lot's of gaps - if I find more I'll be in touch.


Best wishes

Susannah

[Epimandios]

Methodist ministers of all types moved usually every two years. This can make tracing difficult. Try to find a copy of 'United Methodist Ministers and their circuits' by Beckerlegge, Oliver A. London: Epworth 1968 ISBN 0716200767. This will give all the places he was appointed to over the years. You will need a pretty good library, or maybe your local one can find a copy for you. There is also more info in the minutes of the NMC conference held each year. These can also sometimes be found in libraries. Good luck.

[radstockjeff]

Percy Chapel in Charlotte Street Bath was a Congregational Chapel and is still in existence and the home of the Elim Pentecostal Church in Bath.
The Percy Community Centre stands on the site of the former New King Street Wesleyan Methodist Church which fronted New King Street and Monmouth Street. The New King Street Chapel was bobed during the Bath Blitz in 1942.

Abraham Leach served only a couple of years in the Bath area for the Methodist New Connection 1870/71. This group ceased in about 1881 in Bath and the few members left worshipped with the United Methodists at Hope Chapel in the Upper Borough Walls , Bath.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[radstockjeff]

Ref Sweetland Organ Co. The factory in Walcot, behind the Walcot Methodist Church was I believe requisitioned at the beginning of the War and the company moved to other premises in Locksbrok Road Lower Weston,Bath, which had been built originally as a Congregational Chapel. This was bomb damaged in 1942, but not destroyed. Known as the Centenary Works it continued as an organ factory under the Sweetland name until around 1959/60 when the company was taken over or absorbed into another organ builder Rushworth and Dreaper.
This building went through a number of different ownerships in the subsequent years and is now used by the Mormon Church.