Camelford - John Wesley (1748-1789)



Camelford is on the way in and out of Cornwall so Wesley preached there around a dozen times. He wrote in his journal on August 11th 1753, 'The rain stopped at twelve and gave me an opportunity of preaching in the market-place at Camelford. I saw only one person in the congregation who was not deeply serious. That one was the curate of the parish.'

He wrote on September 5th 1760, 'I found another dead society at Camelford. But their deadness here was owing to bitterness against each other. In the morning I heard the contending parties face to face; and they resolved and promised, on all sides to let past things be forgotten.'

His talk must have worked because by September 26th 1762, 'After preaching at eight I left Camelford, now one of the liveliest places in Cornwall.'

However by August 26th 1768, 'I came to Camelford, where the society is once more shrunk from 70 to 14.'

It turned around again though because on his last visit in 1789 they had a new preaching house and it was full.

Additional Information

I do not know where the meetings were, although he did preach in the market-place.


Related Wells