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General Information

Address: Methodist Archives and Research Centre, John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH. Telephone: 0161 834 5343/6765 Fax: 0161 834 5574

Open: Monday to Friday 10.00am-5.15pm, Saturday 10.00am-1.00pm

Closed: Sundays, Bank Holidays, Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive, and over the Christmas and New Year period (please contact the Library for further details)

Enquiries should be directed to:
Dr Peter Nockles (e-mail PNOCKLES@fs1.li.man.ac.uk)
or Mr Gareth Lloyd (e-mail GLLOYD@fs1.li.man.ac.uk)

Background

The Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC) was established by the Methodist Church of Great Britain in 1961 to house the Connexional records of the Church. The Centre was originally located at John Wesley's Chapel, City Road, London, but in 1977 it was transferred to the John Rylands University Library of Manchester.

The size of the collection transferred from London was estimated at over 26,000 printed items and approximately 600 feet of manuscript shelving. Since 1977 the Archives have expanded considerably, with approximately 60,000 deposits of new material.

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The Collections

Printed

The core of the 18th century holdings is represented by the works of John Wesley numbering over 1,300 items. The combined personal libraries of Charles Wesley and John Fletcher of Madeley comprise an additional 600 volumes.

There is a very fine collection of 18th century anti-Methodist printed material consisting of several thousand items and a collection of 6,000 tracts and pamphlets dating from 1568 to 1933.

The Archives contain over 5,000 hymnals published between 1737 and the present, including the only complete copy of the Charleston Hymnbook. These are not limited to Methodist items, but include publications of the Anglican, Baptist and Congregationalist Churches.

In addition there are thousands of published items spanning the history of Methodism and related evangelical movements, many of them from the libraries of the former Richmond College and Hartley Victoria College. It is also the policy of the MARC to acquire copies of modern published books relating to Methodism.

Mention should also be made of the extensive local history collection of over 4500 monographs and pamphlets and the collection of over 10,000 circuit plans.

As regards British Methodist periodicals, over 5,000 individual volumes are in the MARC. These include Connexional magazines and newspapers from every major Methodist denomination. Some titles are unique to the Methodist Archives.

Manuscript

The MARC has the world's largest collection of manuscripts relating to the founders of Methodism, John and Charles Wesley and other members of their family. In all, the collection comprises approximately 5,000 letters, notebooks and associated papers of the period 1700-1865.

Prominent 18th century Evangelicals, other than the Wesleys, whose personal papers are represented in the collections include George Whitefield (1714-70), the Countess of Huntingdon (1707-91), Howell Harris (1714-73) and Benjamin Ingham (1712-72). In addition, there is a very large collection (44 boxes) of manuscript material relating to John Fletcher (1729-85) of Madeley and his wife Mary Bosanquet (1739-1815).

The Archives also include extensive small collections of personal papers of approximately 4,000 ministers and lay-Methodists from the 18th century to the present. These include Thomas Coke (1747-1814), Adam Clarke (1760-1832), Hugh Bourne (1772-1852), Jabez Bunting (1779-1858), John Ernest Rattenbury (1870-1963) and Dr Rupert Davies (1909-94).

The institutional records of Methodism are also well-represented. These include the records of the Methodist Conference and its several committees and large collections deposited by the administrative Divisions of the Church. There is material relating to all the major pre-union Methodist denominations.

Created by the JRULM Web Team, December 1995.