THE FIRST VISIT TO ARMAGH 1767
John Wesley visited Ireland on 21 occasions between 1747 and 1789. He came to Armagh on Wednesday, 15 April 1767 and he visited a further 8 times. Wesley's last visit to the city was on Tuesday, 16 June 1789 in his 86th year and two years before his death.
THE INVITATION
It could be said that the arrival of John Wesley in Armagh was due to a determined wife. Eleanor Russell, who had been converted under Wesley in Athlone before coming to live in Armagh (about 1755), persisted with her husband that an invitation should be issued to Wesley to preach in the city. Her husband, a good-meaning man with respect for religion, albeit the sort of religion that is cold and respectable, knew nothing of Methodism and looked on it as something disorderly and contemptible, if not positively evil! Not wishing to refuse his wife nor wishing her to become associated with a system he considered disreputable, he consulted a judicious friend as to what he should do. That friend, Mr William McGeough, advised him to accompany his wife so that by seeing and hearing John Wesley, he could make his own judgement.
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After hearing Wesley preach he was satisfied that all his prejudices were entirely groundless. So much so, he extended an invitation to the venerable preacher to stay at his house should he ever come to Armagh.
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John Wesley, never one to miss an opportunity for extending the good work, accepted the invitation and made an appointment for preaching in the Market House.
I rode to Armagh half an hour before the time of preaching. An officer came and said, 'Sir, I am ordered by the sovereign to inform you that you shall not preach in this town.' In order to make trail I walked to the markethouse at six o'clock, and had just begun, when the sovereign came; I was informed his name was Harcourt. He was talking very loud and tolerably fast, when a gentleman came up and said, Sir! If you are not permitted to preach here, you are welcome to preach in Mr McGeough's avenue. Mr McGeough one of the chief merchants of the town, himself showed the way. I suppose twice as many people flocked together as would have heard me at the markethouse. So did providence of God draw good out of evil, and His word had, indeed, free course.
John Wesley 1767
Historical source: 250 Years of Methodism in Armagh, written by Dessie Mitchell.
THE CONTROVERSY
Surgeon-Major John Lynn, who was a prominent Methodist Leader for many years in the City wrote a short history of 'Wesleyan Methodism on the Armagh Circuit' published in 1885. Lynn records that John Wesley, after arriving in Armagh by horseback one and a half hours before the time for preaching, that an Officer told him the Sovereign had ordered 'that you shall not preach in this town'.
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This did not dissuade Wesley. The Sovereign, called Harcourt, arrived to enforce his decision when Wesley had just begun, at which point he was invited by a gentleman to preach in McGeough's Avenue in Abbey Street. The Market House incident with the Sovereign did not frustrate Wesley proclaiming the Gospel; it seems to have strengthened his resolution to preach, and he records that 'twice as many people flocked together' to hear him when they moved to Mr McGeough's Avenue.
McGeough's avenue was not far from the north side of Abbey Street, fronting up from the site of the Primitive Church. After this first open air service Wesley stayed with Mrs Russell, who according to John Lynn, kept a 'respectable boarding house in Church Lane'. On all subsequent visits he was hospitably entertained by Robert Livingston JP, an upright magistrate, who for more than 50 years was agent to the Earl of Charlemont. Mr Livingston's home was in a building that was to become the Provincial Bank.
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On Wesley's visits he generally invited a few Methodists to meet him at dinner. On one occasion Alick Patterson was among the guests and he was wearing a new blue coat on which the tailor had put without any instruction, a quantity of large bright buttons, which was then fashionable but not in keeping with the plain modest attire adopted by Methodists. During dinner Wesley, looking over at Alick's bright coat said, 'Brother, have you read my sermon on dress?' Alick winced but made no reply. After Wesley had retired, Alick said, 'Brethren, did you hear Mr Wesley's question about dress? Verily that observation was meant for me, and for three straws I would cut every button off this coat!'