Wroot Wesley Stone
This stone monument stands outside St. Pancras Church in Wroot. It commemorates Reverent John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement who was curate here between 1727 and 1729. After this post he became the Moderator of Lincoln College, Oxford. John Wesley was born in Epworth and was the son of Reverent Samuel Wesley who was the rector at Epworth and Wroot. Samuel and Susanna Wesley had 19 children in total, 10 of which survived to adulthood. One of the daughters, Mahetabel, wrote to her sister, Emilia, about her time spent in Wroot: ‘Fortune has fixed thee in a place, Debarren of wisdom, wit and grace, High births and virtue they equally scorn, An asses dull, on dunghills born.’ It is probably a safe assumption to make that Mehetabel did not enjoy her time spent in the village. Two of the Wesley children are said to be buried at the churchyard in Wroot although there is no marker for their graves.
Image and text copyright Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase Landscape Partnership.
