Asbury’s letters and related documents · Record 277
May 12, 1810 — to Any of the Preachers and Members of The Methodist Episcopal Church in America
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 537
There had been some correspondence between Wesley and Asbury and others concerning recognition of preachers in America who had been members of the British Conference or vice versa. This was not a great problem.
NEW YORK, N.Y.
May 12, 1810
TO ANY OF THE PREACHERS AND MEMBERS OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN AMERICA1
I recommend Reverend William Blagborne2 for many years a member of the British Conference and well recommended to me by Dr. Coke and others.
Given under my hand this twelfth day of May one thousand eight hundred and ten.
FRANCIS ASBURY
Transcribed by Frank Baker from the original formerly owned by him
Notes (2)
- “This is one of the few examples of an official transfer from British to American Methodism. William Blagborne was born in 1754, admitted on trial by the British Methodist Conference in 1785. He came under Coke’s eye. He adopted ‘some singular opinions… respecting the uncertainty of all things, arising from the evil effects of the French Revolution’ and settled as a supernumerary at Fulford, near York. In 1808 he came once more into the active ministry, at Stroud, but for a short time only. His stay in America was not very long. He returned to England and died Saturday evening, March 2nd, 1816. He was buried in the City Road Chapel, London.” (Frank Baker.) ↩
- (See Journal, May 12, 1810.) Asbury saw Blagborne. ↩