A PEOPLE REACHING FOR ECSTASY: THE GROWTH OF METHODISM IN NEWFOUNDLAND, 1774-1874 by © Calvin Hollett A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History Faculty of Arts Memorial University of Newfoundland August 20,2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47911-7 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47911-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract The thesis reappraises the growth of Methodism in Newfoundland finding that it was a populist movement energized by the religious dynamic of a quest for spiritual ecstasy. This is in contrast to an historiography that has presented a top-down history of Methodism as a moral rescue by clergy of a degenerated populace encased in isolation and a cruel environment. That historiography has fixed upon the administrative formation of the Newfoundland District in 1815 and the consequent increase in clergy as the turning point in its history. Instead, Methodism was a lay spiritual movement of a people searching for ecstasy. It spread as a dynamic personal religion, facilitated by the migratory nature of its population. The most prominent characteristic of the residents was not isolation, but mobility, expediting the spread of Methodism as a religion of experience. Transhumance included both dual residency and further family movement to the northeast coast and Labrador for the summer fishery. There was also the vocational mobility of fishing voyages along the southeast coast and sealing voyages on the northeast coast. It was this lay zeal and mobility which were the primary means for the spread of Methodism in Newfoundland, not the organizational efforts of British missionaries. Populist Methodism in the bays of Newfoundland, continually energized through revivals, was in sharp contrast with the extremely hierarchical 19th-century versions of Anglicanism and Catholicism - Tractarianism and ultramontanism - emanating from St. John's. Methodism presented a vision of man, not in contrast to the cruel land, but in contrast to clerical mediation, through its proclamation of direct access to God. The vernacular religious impulse was trusted to such a degree that deference to clergy gave way to popular freedom and self-assurance. In this way Methodism, which grew to over a quarter of the population, gave a third dimension to Newfoundland society, the capability and acceptability of the vernacular. n Acknowledgm ents Many have enabled me in doing this thesis, without which it would not have been done. I thank God; my wife, Myrna Hollett and my father, Llewellyn Hollett; Derek Hollett, and a number of friends at Clarenville, Marion Forsey, Joy and Louis Best, Hazen and Flora Clouter, Roger and Donna Down, Cliff and Cathy Peck, Louise and Fred Best, and Albert and Nellie Noseworthy; Daryl and Pamela Hollett at Southern Harbour; Dr. Martin and Anne Mack, Dr. John Martin, Dr. Don and Fay Rideout, Hubert and Pauline Thomas, and Dona Bulgin at St. John's; Dr. Robert Forsey at Goose Bay; and Isabelle Hall and last, but very important, Brian Shaw at Gander with whom I discussed Methodists and Methodism at Tim Horton's for many hours over many days, and several years. Professionally, I thank my Supervisory Committee - Dr. James Hiller, my supervisor who with much expertise oversaw all aspects of the thesis, and in a timely fashion; Dr. Hans Rollmann for both his empathy with the endeavour and perceptive advice; and Dr. Andy den Otter for his insightful questions and comments during many discussions of Canadian History. I thank my Oral Examination Committee, Dr. Michael Gauvreau, McMaster University, Dr. Sean Cadigan, and Dr. Jeff Webb, who not only plied me with questions but also endorsed the thesis beyond anything I could hope for. I also thank Jeff for nurturing me in the discipline of history in Giovanni's Cafe in Gander nearly a decade ago; Renee Lopez, and Fran Warren, Administrative Staff Specialist, who got me into this in the first place; fellow students, Paul Collins, Norma Hall, and Stefan Jensen; Dr. Lewis Fischer for his constant support as Graduate Coordinator; Dr. Christopher English, Dr. Kurt Korneski, Dr. William Reeves, Dr. Shannon Ryan, Dr. Maudie Whalen, and Dr. Christopher Youe, Head, of the History Department. Others have offered helpful advice and encouragement along the way - Stephen Dawson, John Greene, Dr. Patrick O'Flaherty, and Dr. Graham Skanes. Linda White kindly gave me her draft manuscript of the Robert Dyer diary, Greenspond. Nancy King xeroxed many diaries. Janet Davis informed me of Clifford Andrews with whom I talked much of Methodism in Wesleyville, Swain's Island, and Cape Freels. Pamela and John Armstrong were beautiful hosts during my stay in London. And where would the researcher be without the wonderfully helpful people at archives and libraries - Joan Ritcey, Debbie Andrews, Glenda Dawe, Colleen Field, Jackie Hillier, Carl White, Jane Deal, Janet Gates, Susan Hadley, and Rosemary Healey at the Centre of Newfoundland Studies; Bert Riggs and Linda White at Archives and Manuscripts; Joanne Costello and David Mercer at Maps; Rose Marie Power at Media and Data, Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University; Cal Best, Melanie Tucker, Ron Kirby, Claire Jefford, Violet Moores, and Catherine Rice at the Public Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador; Susan Foley at Queen's College; Bernice Bussey; Andrew Davis, Allison Piercey at the Newfoundland and Labrador Conference Archives of the United Church of Canada; Judith Colwell at the Maritime Conference Archives of the iii United Church of Canada; the staff at Central Conference Archives of the United Church of Canada/Victoria University; Susannah Rayner, Joanne Ichimura, Lance Martin, Felicity Croydon at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; Peter Nockles at John Rylands Library, University of Manchester; Lucy McCann, Bodleian Library, Oxford; the staff at the British Library and Guildhall Library, London, and at the Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, and the Local History Centre, Poole. Helpful beyond measure were a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, a Memorial University Graduate Studies Excellence Award, a fellowship from the School of Graduate Studies awarded by the History Department, and research grants from the J.R. Smallwood Foundation and the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Memorial University. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgments iii Chapter Introduction 1 One Chapter Historiography and Methodology 12 Two 2.1 Social History and the Study of Religion 13 2.2 Newfoundland Methodist Historiography 18 2.3 Education and Politics 58 2.4 Methodology 64 Chapter Methodism and Newfoundland Religion Three in the 19th Century 76 Chapter Dialectical tensions within Methodism 112 Four 4.1 Administration 113 4.2 Respectability 129 4.3 Education 134 4.4 Women 137 4.5 Temperance 148 Chapter Newfoundland Methodism and the question Five of distinctiveness 165 5.1 Providence 166 5.2 Merchants and the credit system 186 5.3 Wesleyan Methodism and the Church of England 195 5.4 Newfoundland Methodism and John Wesley 198 Chapter Early Methodism in Conception Bay, St. John's, Six and Trinity Bay 214 Chapter Bonavista and Bonavista Bay 248 Seven Chapter Twillingate and Notre Dame Bay 285 Eight v Chapter Burin and Placentia Bay 344 Nine 9.1 Burin 344 9.2 Placentia Bay 374 Chapter Grand Bank, Fortune, and the South Coast 409 Ten Chapter Conclusion 455 Eleven Bibliography 473 vi List of Maps Newfoundland 497 Bonavista Bay, Trinity Bay, Conception Bay 498 Notre Dame Bay 499 PlacentiaBay 500 Fortune Bay to Cape Ray 501 vu Chapter One: Introduction Early in the fall of last year, a fisherman [at Black Island] engaged Robert R., a zealous member of our Society, residing in Twillingate, to mend his herring nets. In the bargain Robert agreed to be allowed to read the word of God in the family, and to pray morning and evening, during his stay. Being acquainted with Mr. Wesley's Works, and having a well-tried experience in vital godliness, Robert's exposition of the Scripture and prayer were with power. A few of the neighbours expressed a wish to be permitted to come in at the hour of evening prayer; and on one occasion the eldest daughter of Robert's employer cried aloud for mercy...