The Rev Mr STEVENS

[KGarrad]

If the reverend Mr STevens was a methodist, then he would have a chapel, rather than a church?

Bitton Families website (http://www.bittonfamilies.com/Nonconformist.html) quotes the following:

The area between Bristol and Bitton/Keynsham was home to many non-conformist churches, including the following, and others not listed here. Records of Bitton families can be found in the registers of many of these churches and chapels.

Wesleyan Chapel (Kingswood (near Bristol), Gloucestershire)

Independent Church (Kingswood, near Bristol, Gloucestershire)

Whitfield Tabernacle (Kingswood (near Bristol) : Congregational)

Wesleyan Church. Kingswood Circuit (Kingswood near Bristol, Gloucestershire)

United Methodist Church. Kingswood Circuit (Kingswood near Bristol, Gloucestershire)<

Bethel Free Methodist Church (Kingswood, Gloucester)

Zion Free Methodist Church (Kingswood (near Bristol), Gloucestershire)

Redfield Wesleyan, Kingswood Circuit (Kings wood near Bristol, Gloucestershire)

Moravian Chapel (Kingswood, Gloucestershire : Protestant Church of the United Brethren)

[Pastmagic]

Rev. Stephens is described as an itenerant preacher, so did not officiate eah week, probably, in a particular churich building - he did the rounds of various places. The obit says he was retired to Kingswood.

"William Stevens, a native of Plymouth Dock, ceased to travel in 1802 through ill health. For four years he was English Master at Kingswood, and then had a private school on Kingswood Hill till his death in 1813. "

From:http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1788b#TwentyOne

The Medhodist school still exists, butI think at a different location. Tou could contact them for further info:
http://www.methodisteducation.co.uk/content/schools.asp

http://www.archive.org/stream/alphabeticalarra00hilliala/alphabeticalarra00hilliala_djvu.txt
PM

[KGarrad]

Knew I had heard of this before!

From Wikipedia:
Kingswood School was founded by John Wesley in 1748 in Kingswood near Bristol and was established for the education of the sons of the itinerant ministers (clergy) of the Methodist Church.
The school moved to its present location on the northern slopes of Bath in 1851.

[MW-UK]

HI Thanks for all the information thats comming in. would you know how old William was when he died!!

  many thanks MW

[Pastmagic]

Dazey's obit says he was 51 when he died in 1813.
His wife was 47 when she died in 1817, according to her obit.
PM

Added later

Here he is in 1813 as a creditor for  £30 to the wonderfully named " Methodist Preachers Merciful Fund"

Other refs in this book  shows he was active in his ministry in the year of his death. Its the vol after in the Medhodist Yearly Conference series,as per  Dazey's obit find posted earlier.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g3z/

[MW-UK]

  HI All this information is great I would like to thank you all for your help
  Williams daughter Tabitha married John Wine(chemist )of Temple St and Kingswood Hill is there any mention of them any where!!
    regards MW

[Dave Jones]

London Gazette 20th February 1819
Notice is hereby given, that the Partnership lately carried on by Tabitha Wine (late Tabitha Stevens) and Mary Stevens, at Kingswood Hill, in the parish of Bitton, in the County of Gloucester, as Druggists, and also as Copartners in a School for the Education of Young Ladies, was dissolved on the 8th day of February, now instant.
Witness our hands this 10th day of February 1819;
John Wine
T Wine
James Wood
Thomas Stanley
   Trustees of the said Mary Stevens
Mary Stevens

[MW-UK]

  HI Dave Thanks for that latest information about Tabitha,I wonder if Mary  is a sister!! I think ive found two sisters and one brother !!
 Tabatha 1792  Susanna -Samuel 1802 -Martha Sarha 1807!!

  Regards   MW

[Pastmagic]

John Wine is still a druggist in 1826. There is an ad in The Bristol Mercury (Bristol, England), Monday, December 25, 1826; Issue 1915.
He is offering "Kingswood House for sale or to rent, distance from Bristol 3.5 miles, near Holy Trinity Church, very advantageously sited for a Bording school...."
It is a six bedroom house, two parlours, with all the various outhouses of the time, including a brew house and stables.
"at the low rent of THIRTY SHILLINGS. (His capitals!)
"Apply on the, or to  premises, or to John Wine, Druggist, Temple-Street Bristol

PM