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1824 relations were bad in Penzance when the Wesleyan Superintendent, Rev. John Waterhouse; and the local Baptist minister "Bosun" Smith attacked each other in the miserable 'Tucknet' controversy Joseph Carne became secretary to Penzance Library. until 1832., and for all practical purposes manager during many years. *In Sept. 1824, Richard Treffry Junior, at the age of 20 becomes an itinerant preacher for the Sevenoaks circuit. ( he spent the last six years of his life in Penzance). In order to excite an additional degree of attention to the ordinances of religion in Sevenoaks, his superintendent and he agreed to deliver a course of weekly lectures on the following subjects. The necessity of Divine revelation, from 1 Cor.ii.11. The authenticity and genuineness of the Scriptures, Psa cxix.160. The inspiration and suitability of the Scriptures, ii Tim.iii.16. The character of Divine law, Rom.vii,12. The law as a schoolmaster, Gal.3,24. The efficiency of a Gospel ministry, Rom.i,16. The weapons of a Gospel minister, 2 Cor.. x.45. The hearing of the Gospel, a universal duty, James i,19. The advantages of obedience to the Gospel, James i,25. The Gospel the test of final judgement, Rom.ii.16. The delivery of these lectures, to a certain extent, answered the purpose contemplated by the authors. They tended greatly to increase their congregations. In a letter I received from my son, dated November 22, 1824, he says, "Last evening I preached on the authenticity and genuiness of the Scriptures, to such a congregation, as for numbers and respectability I have never seen equalled in Sevenoaks: and here I cannot help mentioning an odd circumstance that happened. There is an old gentleman in this town, who makes a point never to go to any place of worship. His wife and daughter, hearing that there was a course of lectures delivering in the Methodist Chapel, (the word lectures is attractive and novel in this place,) determined to go and hear; and accordingly, last evening came to the Chapel. During our service, a storm of hail and rain, thunder and lightening, came on. The old gentleman, thinking that his wife and daughter would need some additional clothing, under such circumstances, calculated how long our service might be; and in order to be in time, determined to be early. He accordingly lighted his lantern, loaded himself with umbrellas and other anti-rain machinery, and arrived at the chapel soon after I had entered on my discourse; all was quiet outside, so he thought he would step inside. He did so, and looking up to the pulpit, he thought within himself, - what is that man doing? I wonder if this is what they call preaching? Why he's got no book !' I not knowing that I was causing such wonderment in any of my congregation, went on, till having preached about an hour and a half, I dismissed the people The old gentleman having met his wife and daughter, got under weigh, and proceeded towards home. Astonishment for a while kept him silent. At length he broke out,- 'Is that what you call Methodist preaching?' - ' Yes'. 'But is this really Methodist preaching?' - 'Yes, certainly.' 'Oh ! wonderful !.Astonishing ! Why the man had no book ! Why, I never heard such a thing ! Such exclamations as these were all he could utter. So I hope we shall see him at chapel, at our next lecture." 1825 300.000 members in British Methodism Wesleyan quarterly meetings held in the Star Hotel. The first steamer came into Penzance harbour. 1826 Chapel enlarged and embellished with a fine organ. There was a dispute as to whether they should have an organ in the chapel, and its leaders were mercilessly satirised as Cardinal in verse anonymously and widely circulated, The puritan tradition weakened during the second and third Methodist generations An observer in Penzance, noted that 'even the young female Methodists dress gayer now, though still they have not become so worldly as to wear of ribbons in their bonnets. 1827 A barrel and finger organ made locally (it is interesting to note that this type of organ would generally have played hymns at a slower pace than we sing them today) Another account says the first organ was brought to Penzance by ship in 1830. ( This may have been a second organ) In 1827, At the annual meeting of the preachers children and families, held at the City Road chapel immediately succeeding the Missionary Anniversary, At the age of 23, Richard Treffry Jun. was chosen to preach a sermon on the occasion. Knowing that many of the preachers, and influential members of the society, would be present, he went to this work with fear and trembling; but he preached so much to the satisfaction of the meeting, that Dr. Townley moved, and one of the preachers seconded the motion, that this sermon be printed.. 1829 In June Richard Treffry Jun. married Eliza Baron, daughter of Mr Baron of Hull. 1830 Gas lighting came to Penzance. Richard Treffry Jun., became terminally ill with TB, he was made a supernumery. His father writes:- "My son was then in the prime of life, not quite twenty-six years of age; he had an amiable wife, and an infant child; such a talent for usefulness; and it cannot be a matter of surprise that he was desirous of life, and was willing to use all the means which at all calculated that end. Accordingly, on November the 10th, accompanied by his wife, he set out from Leeds, with the intention of travelling to Cornwall. They arrived at Helston on the 27th November. In January. 1831 he arrived in Penzance. 1831 Penzance population 6,563 Bishop Phillpotts came to Exeter, he surveyed his dioceses from end to end, and after he had studied detailed reports from the Cornish Archdeaconry, he is reported to have said, 'Wesleyanism is the established religion of Cornwall'. Whether as a direct or indirect consequence of this discovery, the Bishop made overtures to the Wesleyan Methodists in his Charge to the clergy that year. 'The Wesleyans,' he said, agree with us almost entirely in doctrine... Would to God that the narrow partition which divides us could be broken down.' William Grylls, the vicar of Crowan, perhaps with the Bishop's prior knowledge, made a similar statement in a Visitation sermon at Penzance. On 28th February Mr William Carne visited R Treffry Jun. "With him I had a long conversation about old times, Mr Wesley, and his contemporary. Among other things he mentioned a preacher who rode on horse-back from Penzance to Edingburgh to see his wife, whom he had not seen for twelve months, and after spending a week with her, he rode back again. On the 25th November, Richard Treffry Jun. wrote to his father, saying :- "Mr William Carne has for the last few days not been very well. I think he is failing. He complains that he cannot walk; his legs totter, and he feels generally increasing weakness. Nothing, however, can exceed his cheerfulness and kindness. I find it a great privilege to be under his conduct as a leader; though I do not think his class at all remarkable, I mean in character of its members, yet there is that sort of influence connected with himself, that no one, I think can come into cordial contact with him, with out being better." 1832 Feb. 26th In a letter to his father Richard Treffry junior says:- "Nature will gush forth sometimes. I could not retrain my tears this morning at class, while my dear father Mr. Carne prayed for my recovery, accompanied by many Amens on the part of my brethren. Yet they were not tears of grief, or at least but very partially so. In a letter dated 26th Sept. he says, "yesterday was our quarterly meeting. We reported about 200 addition, besides 250 on trial. We have now meeting in class nearly 3800 persons; a larger number than in any circuit in the connexion. In Penzance alone eighty have joined the society in the past ten days, and without any noise or stir. The measure and tone of religious feeling are very remarkable. Last night, the services were continued till about midnight, and then it was with difficulty the people were prevailed upon to leave the chapel." 1833 Richard Treffry President © Copyright 2001 Keith Austin |
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1 Rev. Gilbert H. Doble, M.A., reprinted from "The Cornish Times" 1935 2 Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, 1823. pge 204 3 Rev. Gilbert H. Doble, M.A., reprinted from "The Cornish Times" 1935 pge. 21. 4 Rev. Gilbert H. Doble, M.A., reprinted from "The Cornish Times" 1935 pge. 24. 5 A Methodist Guide to Cornwall Thomas Shaw pge 34 6 Journal of Cornish Methodist History Soc. 3 (May1961) pg 62 7 Cornishman 11 Oct 1883 ( article by E W Crofts on Penzance coachbuilders, one of whom T.Corin occupied the premises. 8 J. Wesley's Journal 9 History of Mounts Bay 1831 Penzance. 10 West Briton 12.6.1863 11 West Briton 12.6.1863 12 Memoirs of Mrs Jane Treffry by Richard Treffry Junior 13 Memoirs of Mrs Jane Treffry by Richard Treffry Junior 14 pge 25 A guide to The Mounts Bay and The Lands End. London 1824 J A Paris 15 Dr J A Paris Pge 11. 1816 16 Memoirs of the Rev. Richard Robarts. Pg 173 17 Memoirs of the Rev. Richard Robarts Pg 175 18 Memoirs of the Rev. Richard Robarts Pg 295 19 copy in Eva MSS, RIC 20 pge 28-30 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 21 copy in Eva MSS, RIC. 22 copy in Eva MSS, RIC. 23 copy in Eva MSS, RIC. 24 pge 52 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 25 pge 56 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 26 Rev. Gilbert H. Doble, M.A., reprinted from "The Cornish Times" 1935 27 pge 70 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 28 pge 100 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 29 pge 108-9 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). 30 pge 134 Memoirs of Richard Treffry Jun. by Richard Treffry (his father). |