John Wesley is described as one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the Christian Church. A preacher of great power and an organiser of genius, who founded Methodism in the face of strong opposition. He was born in 1703 and at the age of six he was rescued from a fire in his father’s rectory at Epworth. This had a profound effect on the young John Wesley and in later life he referred to himself as a ‘brand plucked from the burning’.

John Wesley, a priest in the Church of England, travelled to Bristol in 1739 and started preaching to the poor in the open air. When people responded to his preaching they gathered into religious societies who met at members’ homes. Within weeks his following had increased so much that a new meeting place was needed.

Wesley bought a small piece of land and built what he called ‘our new room in the Horsefair’. It was used as a dispensary and schoolroom for the poor as well as for meetings and worship and in modern times is still known today by Methodists as ‘the New Room’.

In 1748 the ‘New Room’ was extended and rebuilt.

John’s brother, Charles, was also a Church of England priest who is considered by many to be the world’s greatest ever hymn writer. Their shared mission was to take their Christian faith to the ‘unchurched’ and especially to the poor who were often neglected by the Established Church. John and Charles Wesley believed that people needed to have faith if they are to be saved from sin and death. They also believed that salvation was not just for the few, but for everyone.

John Wesley married Mary Vazeille in February 1751 and often praised her for ‘her simplicity of dress, her sitting among the poor at worship, her use of sage tea and her ‘not being delicate in your food’. Unfortunately their marriage was not a happy one and the couple separated in 1758.

John Wesley possessed an insatiable intellectual curiosity and was particularly fascinated by electricity and its use as a treatment for physical ailments. He travelled over 250,000 miles in his lifetime to spread the Gospel and his persuasive preaching and organisational abilities lead to the creation of Methodist bands, classes, and societies in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the American colonies.

In 1778 a Wesley Chapel was opened in City Road, London, and came to be regarded as the Cathedral of the World Methodist Church. However, John Wesley is remembered mostly for his preaching tours, which he continued until just a few months before he died of old age in London on 2 March 1791 surrounded by Methodist preachers and friends and his last words were said to be “Best of all is God is with us.” His epitaph could read ‘A man far ahead of his time in his thinking, Wesley acted with the conviction that the Gospel is for the whole person and the whole human race, a vision that resulted in the founding of dispensaries for the sick, homes for orphans, schools for persons who were poor, visiting prisoners, opposing slavery, and publishing numerous materials, enough to make a full bookshelf today (and more).’

John Wesley’s eight visits to Llanelli

John Wesley brought his faith to the people and preached outside in all winds and weathers, and in Llanelli both Welsh and English followed him. He often preached at Kidwelly and when he wanted to sermonise in Gower he crossed the river on horseback when the tide was out. It is said that at one time when the tide was in, he was forced to ride around the coastline and this is how he found Llanelli, being quite taken with the small town. Some of the local Methodists at the time met in Llanelly House and Sir Thomas Stepney’s butler held services in the servants’ quarters. Sir Thomas was not a Methodist but did not object to the small flock holding their services in his grand Mansion House.

When Wesley travelled through Llanelli the butler explained that he was trying to raise funds to build a chapel for local Methodists. It is said that, without any hesitation, John Wesley put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a sovereign which he gave to the butler to be used for building a meeting house.

A plaque was unveiled on the outside wall of the Public Library commemorating the eight occasions that John Wesley preached in Llanelli. After the unveiling a service was held at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Hall Street. The memorial was first suggested by Mr M D J Paton when he was a member of the Borough Council and the idea was taken up when Lady Catharine Howard Stepney offered her collection of relics of John Wesley and of his historic visits to the town, which was little more than a village in 1768. The inscription on the plaque reads:

Near this spot,

between 8th August, 1768

and 24th August 1788

the Rev. John Wesley MA

on eight occasions

preached to the people

of this town

This memorial is erected by

the Corporation of Llanelly

Plaque commemorating John Wesley preaching in Llanelli