Methodist History Irish Methodist History
The Methodist Historical Society of Ireland contains a large and growing collection of baptismal and marriage registers from Methodist churches throughout Ireland. It also maintains a complete listing of Irish Methodist ministers and their ‘stations’ and where available details of their families.
Research of records relating to marriage and baptismal of Irish Methodists is particularly complex due to the early history of Methodism which began as a religious movement rather than a Church. Early Methodists expected its members to attend other denominations (usually the Parish Church) for Church services and sacraments. This changed in 1816 at which stage Irish Methodism took the first steps in permitting the practice of baptism in their own preaching houses and chapels. Marriages generally did not occur in Methodist chapels in Ireland until between 1842 and 1844 and when such marriages were allowed it was in the presence of the District Registrar. It was not until 1863 that it became possible to register Methodist buildings for marriage by their own ministers and they were provided with their own register books.
Please refer to our introduction to Irish Methodist Baptismal, Marriage and Death Records.
Manuscript Collections and Preachers Journals
The MHSI holds some important early preachers’ journals and diaries notably that of Adam Averell (President of the Primitive Wesleyan Methodist Society) and other early Methodist evangelists, but also several diaries, journals and related family documents of 20th century ministers.
Church Records
A large number of the records of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Quarterly and Leaders’ meetings, baptismal and marriage registers may be found within MHSI’s collections. Available in original, transcribed, abstracted, and microform format, these records offer sources of information on births, local church history, births and marriages and community activities. Information on specific churches and denominations represented in our collections may be found through our online catalogue.
