Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Methodist leader; second surviving son of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, rector of Epworth, the sitter's birthplace; educated at the Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford; ordained 1725; returned to Oxford, 1728, and with his brother Charles, James Hervey and George Whitefield (q.v.) became one of the leaders of a religious society nicknamed ‘Methodists'; accompanied General Oglethorpe to Georgia, 1735; visited the Moravians at Herrnhut, 1738; after separating from Whitefield, his followers became known as Wesleyan Methodists; Wesleyan conference held 1744; thereafter he travelled extensively preaching and organising the Wesleyan Society; author of numerous educational works, sermons, tracts, hymns and journals; founded, 1778, The Arminian Magazine, later re-named The Methodist Magazine (ceased publication 1969).

Referencesback to top

Curnock (ed.) 1909-16
The Journal of the Rev. John Wesley, A.M., ed. N. Curnock, 1909-16.

Falkner 1912
F. Falkner, The Wood Family of Burslem, 1912.

Notes and Queries, 3rd series, VII, 1865.

Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society (WHS).

Romney 1830
Rev. J. Romney, Memoirs of the Life and Works of George Romney, 1830.

Sargisson 1907
C. S. Sargisson, 'John Wesley Busts in Staffordshire Pottery', Connoisseur, XIX, 1907.

Telford 1924
J. Telford, Sayings and Portraits of Wesley, 1924.

Ward and Roberts 1904
H. Ward and W. Roberts, Romney, 1904.

Williamson 1894
G. C. Williamson, John Russell, R.A., 1894.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.