Francis Asbury One of the earliest Methodist workers in and around West Bromwich was. Francis Asbury, who afterwards became the Apostle of Methodism in the United States. Born in nearby Hamstead in 1745, his parents soon moved to Newton Road, Great Barr, which was the home of Asbury through his boyhood and youth. It was his mother's devotion to religion which gave the young Francis an awareness of spiritual matters, and by the age of seven he could read the Bible, and was soon nicknamed "The Methodist Person" by his school friends. At the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a local Methodist blacksmith in the nearby Sandwell Valley. At about this time his parents opened their cottage for religious services, and Asbury became actively involved in religion. He began attending the Parish Church of West Bromwich (All Saints), where the Rev. Edward Stillingfleet preached with great Methodist enthusiasm. Under this influence Asbury became a local preacher at the age of eighteen, and travelled widely throughout the area. During the Bristol Conference in 1771, Asbury was accepted by John Wesley as a volunteer for America and on the 4th September 1771 he set sail from the Bristol Channel never to return to the land of his birth. His life in America was spent spreading the Methodist message. To this end he endured tremendous hardship, travelling more than a quarter of a million miles on horseback, and preaching nearly 18, 000 sermons. His contribution to Methodism was soon recognised and in 1784 he was ordained a Methodist Bishop in America. He died in 1816 at the age of 71, after preaching for about 50 years. Asbury was to America what John Wesley was to England and this was acknowledged when, in 1924, a statue of Bishop Asbury was unveiled in Washington D. C., and the then President of the United States said of him "He is entitled to rank as one of the builders of our Nation". The West Virginia State Archives Library is among the many holding his works but dated in the early 1800's they may have to be researched directly or by photocopy if not available in reprint. Depauw University is one methodist institution that would have his works as well. Regards, W.S. Schermerhorn, psidiver@mindspring.com