British Online Archives

John Wesley (1703-1791) was an English cleric who lead a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism in the 18^th century. After Wesley's death, internal schisms led to a splintering of the original faith. The rival Methodist denominations included the Wesleyan Methodists, Primitive Methodists, and United Methodists.

This collection contains copies of periodicals that chart the debates between and within these denominations: the Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review & Christian Ambassador (1887-1909), Holborn Review (1910-1919), and The London Quarterly Review and Christian Ambassador (1855-1919).

Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review & Christian Ambassador and Holborn Review were edited by Primitive Methodists. In contrast, The London Quarterly Review and Christian Ambassador was a Wesleyan publication.

A monarch while he lived, Wesley left Methodism to be a republic after he died.

Dr. Peter Forsaith, Oxford Brookes University

Key Documents

Document

The London Quarterly Review, 1855-1859

Document

Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review, 1900

Document

Holborn Review, 1910

Document

The London Quarterly Review during the Great War

Methodist Publications, 1855-1919: Collection Guide

Editorial Board

Dr. Peter Forsaith Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History https://www.brookes.ac.uk/templates/pages/staff.aspx?uid=p0073114 Dr. Peter Forsaith is Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, Oxford Brookes University, which holds a series of Methodist-related collections. He is a historian of society, religion, and culture in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Britain and has lectured in Britain and the U.S.A.. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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Insights

Primitive Methodism was a major working-class movement in English Methodism from 1810 to the Methodist Union of 1932. The Methodist Union united various groups in a new body known simply as ‘The Methodist Church’.

In 1854, the Sunderland Primitive Methodist District Ministerial Association started to publish a periodical called the 'Christian Ambassador', which consisted of lectures given at its meetings. In 1878, this periodical evolved and was renamed the 'Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review & Christian Ambassador'. In print from 1879 to 1909, it was a serious and intellectual periodical. Subjects covered include religious history, philosophy, theology, homiletics, and literature.

'The Holborn Review' was a continuation of the 'Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review & Christian Ambassador'. It was published under various titles during the period 1910-1932. The issues available are mostly edited by Minister H.B. Kendall. As well as being an editor, Kendall was a successful author and historian.

'The London Quarterly Review' was a Wesleyan publication founded in 1853 with the backing of significant members of the Wesleyan Methodist church. Under the long editorship of W.B. Pope (1862-1886), its scope was wide-ranging and its tone broadly conservative. Editor J.H. Rigg (1883-1898) reduced the price and adopted a more popular style of article.

The 19th century saw a significant expansion of the printed word. Technological developments and higher literacy rates contributed to the growth of Methodism through print culture.