Bourne

Bourne, HUGH, the founder of the sect of Primitive Methodists (q.v.), was born 3d April 1772, at Fordhays, parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, and died at Bemersley, 11th October 1852. At first an assistant to his father, who was a farmer and wheelwright, and to an uncle, he became a preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists. His zeal for large open-air meetings, carried on on one occasion from six in the morning till eight at night, received no countenance from the leaders of the denomination to which he belonged; and in 1808 Bourne was cut off from the Wesleyan connection for continuing to hold camp meetings in defiance of the repeatedly and strongly expressed disapproval of the Wesleyan Conference. But his preaching was wonderfully acceptable, and he quickly gathered round him many devoted adherents. In March 1810 a committee of ten members was formed at Standley, near Bemersley. This may be regarded as the first official organisation of the body which adopted the name Primitive Methodist in 1812; by the people they were sometimes called Ranters. Bourne and his brother founded the first chapel of the body at Tunstall in 1811. For the greater part of his life he worked as a carpenter and builder, but found time to visit Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. Amongst his writings was a History of the Primitive Methodists (1823).