The Early Days
Early Religious SocietyThere was obviously a Religious Society meeting in Llanishen before the Wesley's came here. There were about 30 societies in South Wales formed as a result of the evangelical preaching of Howell Harris. Other religious leaders were also forming what amounted to House Groups known then as "Societies", "Bands" or "Classes". Most of these were what we think of as "Methodist" in character. They were mainly composed of people who looked to the Church of England as their "Church" and where they went for Holy Communion. A local group could well be led by the Curate.
The Pink
Cottage
Canon Leonard
Dowse thought it likely that the Curate lived in the cottage at the end of Mill
Road, half-way between the two churches he served in Lisvane and Llanishen
(“Llanishen & Lisvane: A short history of two Glamorgan Parishes”
1972, p.61) and is quite adamant that this is where Charles Wesley preached when
he came back to Llanishen on Thursday August 27th 1741 (p.54) and
then “went to a revel at Lisvane and dissuaded them from their innocent
diversions” The Methodist historian, Rev Richard Butterworth, recorded
(Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society, 1901) that he had been told that
the cottage in Mill Road was “the earliest known house used for Methodist
worship in the village”. A survey of this cottage by CADW (Welsh Historic
Monuments) in 2005 found no evidence of any 18th century structure - but the
strength of local tradition implys that this is the site
of the cottage Charles Wesley came to.
Worship in a barn
The Methodist society
continued to meet in a local barn (tradition has it on Blue House Farm, pulled
down in the 1950's when the north estate was built). We know that in 1784 the
curate reported to the Bishop of Llandaff that "there are no Presbyterians,
Anabaptists nor Quakers in this Parish nor any place of worship save one Barn
where the hot-headed Methodists assemble to maintain their folly". The 1851 Religious Census
recorded that Methodist worship was in a building not used exclusively for
worship 21 feet x 15 feet, which is consistent with a barn or hay loft. The
evening congregation was 21; and the minister Rev Charles Tucker (who had been a
missionary in Tonga).