Print and preach – the importance of Methodist Circuit Plans

Whilst working in the Reading Room at the Library, we receive many enquiries about Methodist research, including finding the locations and histories of chapels, or the names of ministers and local preachers. This has often involved consulting ‘circuit plans’ for any useful information. The plans have been added to the Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC), held on deposit within the Library, over a period of time through various donations by Methodist circuits and individuals. This collection of circuit plans up to 1933 is acknowledged to be the largest and most comprehensive in the world for the period, numbering almost 5000 items, including ones from England, Wales and Scotland. Other collections of circuit plans can be found in county archives, and overseas plans are held at SOAS in London. As the plans were difficult to access without any prior knowledge of their contents, a project to catalogue them has opened up possibilities for wider study and revealed much about their significance.

What is Methodism?

The Methodist Church started as an evangelical revival campaign led by brothers John and Charles Wesley in the 18^th century, to try to modernise the Church of England from within – both Wesleys were Anglican clergymen. It was not envisaged to be a new religious denomination, but the popularity of its message resulted in just that. Today there are around 75 million people worldwide who call themselves Methodists.

The word ‘Methodist’ was actually a derogatory term coined by opponents, meaning someone who follows religion ‘methodically’. However, the Methodist focus was also emotional in nature – a religion of the heart as well as the mind – the cornerstone being people saved by faith alone. This message struck a deep chord.

The emphasis of worship focussed on preaching (often in the open air), hymn singing, charity work, education and overseas missions. Methodists were supporters of the anti-slavery movement, workers’ rights and temperance. They also encouraged women preachers right from the beginning.

Over time, disputes over styles of worship and administration caused splits within the Methodist movement, resulting in several Connexions (religious denominations) such as Wesleyan, Primitive, New Connexion, United Free Church and Bible Christian. These all eventually reunited in 1932. An openness in faith, God’s unconditional love and a desire for social justice are the enduring hallmarks of Methodism.

What is a circuit plan?

The circuit (or preaching) plan has been an integral feature of the organisation of Methodism since its earliest days. A circuit is a grouping of chapels and preaching places in localities within a District and is usually named after the nearest large market town. John Wesley wrote to John Hopper, one of his assistants in Colne, Lancashire in February 1780 –

…I desire you to send me a plan of the circuit: you send me an answer, telling me…that you are the very person who introduced plans among us…¹

However, it appears that Wesley himself was the originator of circuit plans, as he had drawn up a series of weekly preaching plans for London in 1754. The collection at the John Rylands Library includes a photocopy of an early plan for the Leeds circuit in 1777 [CIR 1/2137].

Compiled by the circuit Superintendent, a plan is in the form of a timetable grid, showing the names of the various chapels within the circuit, the dates and times of Sunday (and sometimes weeknight) services, as well as the names of preachers who will speak at each one. At first, plans were published every six months, but this was altered to publication every three months.

The earliest plans were handwritten, such as the unusual circular plan below (Figure 1), with a pin to move around the preacher’s names to the correct chapel.

As Methodism grew and more chapels were built, from the early 19^th century onwards plans were printed and standardised in format, although each circuit was unique, so there were always some differences in the way the plans were compiled. There were chapels and preaching places in even the smallest of villages, as well as open air meetings and, in Wakefield in 1834, even a floating chapel on a barge was listed on the circuit plan. Circuits grew and changed over time and were divided, renamed and amalgamated.

To become a fully-fledged preacher involved hard work and extensive training. Dedication, a willingness to travel to various chapels and a thorough knowledge of both the Scriptures and the core message of Methodism were essential attributes. Preachers would be placed on probation and during this period would be listed on the plan as ‘On Trial’, before becoming a permanent part of the preaching team. There would be local and itinerant (travelling) preachers included on a plan. Also listed were ‘Exhorters’ who were helpers to the preachers. There was a great deal of responsibility to attend the services arranged or to provide a suitable substitute if unable to attend. A Skipton Wesleyan circuit plan of 1812 states that ‘Every local preacher who takes a Plan, virtually lays himself under a solemn engagement to supply the Places for which he is appointed’.

Some preachers were nationally famous, such as John Wesley and George Whitefield – people would travel miles to hear them preach. Notable preachers would gain fame by the charismatic quality of their preaching and ability to hold an audience. They were the rock stars of their day. The printed circuit plan, its details also passed on by word of mouth, was the most effective way to publicise their appearances.

Circuit plans sometimes became collectors’ items and special plans were produced for chapel centenary celebrations etc. In the collection at the Rylands, there are several facsimile commemorative plans for Tunstall in 1812, as this was the first printed plan of the Primitive Methodists, listing its founders Hugh Bourne and William Clowes as preachers (Figure 3).

The publication of the latest circuit plan would be greatly anticipated by the chapel congregation, as this article from the Derby and District Methodist in 1891 illustrates:

…its columns eagerly scanned to learn the prospects of the “new quarter”. But how various its reception! One says:
              “We have a good plan this quarter! The ‘Super’ has served us well: he seems to know just what we want.”
In another place quite another voice is heard:
              “I wonder who made this plan, and what he can have been about to send us ____ and ____.”
…Making a plan to suit everybody is only a little easier than making universally acceptable weather, and a sight of the process would surely cure the most inveterate critic…The process of plan-making compares best with a game of chess, consisting of 800 moves, and requiring a full week to bring it to completion… ²

The role of the circuit Superintendent therefore involved a great deal of organisation, including complex logistics and a great deal of diplomacy, in order to compile the quarterly plan.

Circuit plans are still published by the Methodist Church today and are an essential administrative tool for organising chapel life and for communicating the Good News of the Bible.

Christine Pocock states the following in her thesis on the subject:

…The plan is an example of the continuity of a system established for practical purposes in the earliest days of Methodism which stood the test of time.³

Why are circuit plans important for research?

Although circuit plans tell us about the importance of religious faith, particularly from the late 18^th – early 20^th centuries, they also provide an insight into the stories of their congregations and are a rich mine of information. Early plans were simple in design and contained the basics (names, dates, chapels) but over time developed into more detailed ‘news sheets’ with a mass of information crammed onto the page. Plans had addresses of preachers and chapel officials, biblical quotations, meeting dates and announcements, accompanied by a list of abbreviations (Figure 4).

Methodist chapels were a focus for both worship and also a myriad of social activities, such as prayer meetings, classes, charity work and visits. The Chapel was at the hub of the community, providing companionship and support. From the late 19^th century, plans were sometimes printed in a handy booklet form, including advertisements for local businesses. They may include a photograph of the minister or chapel. For a small fee, people could take a copy of the plan home and use it as a handy refence guide to forthcoming services and events (Figure 5).

The role of local printers in producing the plans is also a fascinating avenue of research – the evolution of the plans gave printers the opportunity to express their artistry and design skills, utilising a variety of sizes, typefaces, decorative borders, ink colours and formats (see Figure 6). As a result, the history of graphic design can be traced by comparing circuit plans through the years. Early plans were printed on long-lasting paper made from cotton, but later plans were produced on cheaper wood pulp paper, which is prone to deterioration. Plans were also printed on card, tissue and even silk produced in various colours. The name and location of the printer was included at the bottom, so they can be traced using trade directories.

If an ancestor was a minister, preacher or chapel official, circuit plans are a vital tool to discover names and addresses, as well as where they were at a particular date. For the purposes of tracing family history, this information can be cross-referenced with other sources, such as census returns, chapel registers, printed lists of ministers and their circuits, the Local Preacher’s Magazine, as well as obituaries in conference minutes and Methodist newspapers. For local history research, circuit plans are a unique way of telling the story of towns and villages from the perspective of Nonconformist faith and its influence on people’s daily lives.

The Methodist historian William Leary states that the plan:

…has great value to all who study social and domestic life at the local level. Examples are in work on Enclosures, the Labour movement, Trade unions, village surveys, etc. No one can have fully explored all the sources until the relevant Preaching Plans have been carefully examined. ⁴

Some plans may contain extra handwritten annotations – such as preachers writing their sermons on the back, names, addresses and postage stamps (when plans were sent elsewhere), letters, doodles – even a medical remedy and secret shorthand code were discovered on plans held at the Rylands (Figures 7 and 8).

There are also some poignant commemorations to be found on circuit plans. One minister died whilst in the pulpit singing a hymn with his flock and this tragic event was included on the next plan (Figure 9).

Whilst another has the heartbreaking annotation ‘the last plan with my loved one’s name on’ (Figure 10).

The growth and decline of Methodism in the UK can be tracked by analysing the plans. The mid- to late-19^th century saw its power and influence at its zenith, but a national crisis of faith in the aftermath of the First World War signalled a decline in attendance and membership.

Enthusiasts interested in researching circuit plans used the term ‘cirplanology’. The Society of Cirplanologists was formed in 1955 to promote the study and preservation of plans. They issued a journal Cirplan to share knowledge about their history and content. The John Rylands holds a collection of these from 1971–2015; the catalogue entry can be found on Library Search.

Circuit plans project

In 2018 I volunteered to start compiling a spreadsheet of all the plans held by the Rylands up to 1933 (the first year after reunification of the Church) as there was only a card index available and no digital finding aids.

The spreadsheet contains the following details: the name of the circuit, date of plan (months and year), Methodist Connexion, physical condition of the plan, whether repair was needed, district, as well as other notes such as handwritten details or interesting information. Some 400 plans involved extra detective work, as no specific Connexion was stated – this meant checking in published lists of ministers and circuits to match up names listed on the plans. I envisioned that the project would take a couple of years, but in fact, it has taken five years (although around 18 months were lost due to Covid lockdowns and working from home – as I needed to physically be at the Library to work on sorting and cataloguing the plans). I managed to fit this work around my part-time Reading Room duties and it has been a real labour of love. I was baptised a Methodist and am interested in the history of the Church and its message. Immersing myself in this project – opening up the fascinating world of chapel life, enthusiasm for preaching and the complex organisational skills involved in running circuits, has been both engrossing and enlightening.

Plans for the future

The circuit plans collection is now catalogued alphabetically by circuit place. Their condition has been assessed, with repairs undertaken by Collection Care where required, before being housed in custom-made boxes with archival folders inside and relocated to a more spacious storage area in the Library. The information from the spreadsheet is currently being prepared for inclusion in the Library’s archive collection catalogue (ELGAR) on the Archives Hub, so that researchers will be able to check whether we hold the plans they require. This will result in more in-person visits to the Library, digital visualiser sessions and Imaging requests. We are now able to unlock the treasure trove of information held within Methodist circuit plans.

As an apt conclusion, this poem was found by William Leary on a Truro Wesleyan circuit plan for 1820:

 Again the plan presents itself to view,
 Its use is ancient, though its date is new;
 ‘Tis at thy service, and its price is small,
  That plans are useful is allow’d by all ⁵

I would like to thank the Nonconformist Collections Curator, Paul Carlyle, for his help and support.

Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library and The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (The Methodist Church in Britain).

References

1. E. Alan Rose, “The Evolution of the Circuit Plan”, Wesley Historical Society Proceedings, Vol. 32.2 (1969), p.50 ↩︎
2. “How the Plan is made”, Cirplan, Vol. 16, No. 4, Issue 124 (Lent 2017), p.119, reproduced from the Derby and District Methodist (May 1891) ↩︎
3. Christine Margaret Pocock, The Origins, Development and Significance of the Circuit in Wesleyan and Primitive Methodism in England 1740 – 1914 PhD Thesis, University of Nottingham (2015), p.229 ↩︎
4. William Leary, Methodist Preaching Plans – A Guide to their usefulness to the historian (1977), p.1 ↩︎
5. William Leary, Methodist Preaching Plans – A Guide to their usefulness to the historian (1977), p.18 ↩︎