Rise and Progress of Methodism in Pottstown and in the Neighboring Regions; A Souvenir of the Twentieth Century Thank Offering Movement in the Methodi

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. THE OLD POTTSTOWN CIRCUIT. HE STORY of the introduction of Methodism in Pottstown is a repetition of its introduction to many other localities, namely, by the labors of local preachers and exhorters. Early in the thirties there removed from Springfield, Chester county, certain ironworkers who found employment at Glasgow Forge, in the northwestern suburb of Pottstown, and at Pine Iron Works, Berks county. Among these brawny workmen were two local preachers named William Boat and Samuel Hamilton, and an exhorter named John M. Miles. At the same time there were several zealous and devoted local preachers and exhorters in the Coventry church: George Fries, David Crockett, George Boat and Joseph Carey. Fries was a miller, Carey was a quarryman, Crockett and the Boats were forgemen, Hamilton and Miles were furnacemen. In 1836, these men began to hold, at intervals, religious meetings in Pottstown. They toiled all day at their laborious work and some of them thought it nothing to walk five and eight miles, in the night, hold religious services and be in their places with their fellow-work men bright and early next morning. These meetings were held mainly in the Old Academy building, on Chestnut street near Penn. The members from Springfield Circuit reported their work to the Quarterly Conference of that Circuit, and attention began to be directed to Pottstown as a preaching place for the Methodists. From the year 1823 to 1828, Pottstown, geographically, was included within the bounds of the Chester Circuit, and in 1829 was placed within the limits of the Reading Circuit. From 1830 to 1835, it was embraced in Waynesburg Circuit. In 1836, Springfield Circuit was formed of part of the Waynesburg Circuit. During this year Rev. Allen John, the junior pr...