Were your forbears Wycombe Circuit Methodists?

[Orpheus]

Yes, 8 in Volume One, 18 in Volume Two, and 15 in Volume Three.  There are also some CUTTERs from Lane End who may be connected as this name is often confused with CUTLER.

Orpheus

[matt94]

Glad they are, that surname is the main reason I bought it 

Thanks again,
Matt

[royd]

Hi Orpheus, may I be cheeky please and ask if the name West from Lane End appears at all?

My gt. grandfather Walter West ran some sort of soup kitchen in High Wycombe but I wonder if he came under the Methodist church.

Thanks. R.

[matt94]

Royd,

I have a West marriage here and I know that West is a 'common' name but here is a couple of results from my Cutler search:

24 May 1763 Great Marlow
John X WEST of this parish
Jeminah X CUTTLER of this parish
Witnesses Susannah Arnold Elizabeth Arnold
by Banns

1 May 1873 West Wycombe
William EVANS, aged 28, Bachelor of West Wycombe, Chairmaker son of Charles Evans, Farm Labourer
Jane WEST, aged 29, Spinster of West Wycombe daughter of James West, Roadman
Witnesses Joseph Cutler Anne Cutler
by Licence

I will just nip upstairs and dig out my book again to see and West's in there

Matt

[royd]

Hi Matt thanks for that.  Jane was my gt.gt. aunt so it's good to have that extra info.  We have been in touch before over the Cutlers so it looks as though there was a good friendship between the two families.   

[matt94]

Here is mentions of WEST in the book '250 years of Chiltern Methodism' by Barry P. Sutcliffe

About NAPHILL PRIMITIVE METHODIST
'... there was soon a great excitement among the people: and after tey had been praying a week or two, I and A. West visited the people and found that some who had not as yet been to our meetings, were under the conviction of sin...' by the Rev. John Guy about 1841 First Methodist Church

'Mr. A. V. West (Golf links Road, Flackwell Heath, formerley of Westbourne Street) has become circuit steward and accounts are surely well audited by Mr. D. Christian!'.

'the musicians .... Mr. Jack West, the genial conductor' about Sands Chapel

'mention must be also be made of lay stalwarts, like.... Mr W. West, one time church President' about Oxford Road Chapel

Matt

[matt94]

Just checking through the local preachers index:

Name         Dates         Last Reference
C. West           1863-64             1903, died at West Wycombe

Matt

[matt94]

Sorry to keep talking, but finding out more

The man J West was Joshua West and he was listed in 1885 as a Trustee of the West Wycombe Wesleyan Chapel. Also an 1885 trustee is a Charles West.

West Wycombe Chapel
'Many names of the first trustees... West ... recur well into this twentieth century.

Matt

[royd]

Thanks Matt, the C. West rings a bell.  That was Charles - and somewhere I remember something about him being a lay preacher. 

Unfortunately I don't have a Joshua West in the family at the moment.

Thanks for your time. Regards. R.