The life and times of the Rev. Samuel Wesley Rector of Epworth and father of the Revs. John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodists

About this book

Luke Tyerman’s work is a scholarly biography of Samuel Wesley, the 17th‑century rector of Epworth and father of Methodist founders John and Charles Wesley. The volume opens with a detailed front matter that explains the transcription conventions, acknowledges the sources consulted, from Macaulay and the Spectator to unpublished letters supplied by Rev. Elijah Hoole, and sets out a purpose: to restore Wesley’s reputation alongside that of his celebrated wife. The preface frames the narrative as a corrective to the popular view of Wesley as merely eccentric, promising a comprehensive account that draws on his own publications, contemporary pamphlets, and a wealth of ecclesiastical and national history.

Written in a Victorian‑era prose style, the biography combines exhaustive documentary research with a reverent, sometimes personal tone. Its dense chapter headings trace Wesley’s life against the backdrop of English politics, religious controversy, and literary culture. Readers who enjoy meticulous 19th‑century scholarship, the history of the Church of England, or the familial roots of Methodism will find Tyerman’s detailed portrait both informative and engaging.