Reunion 2003

Day 3 – Reunion Walking Tour

The Walking Tour started at the Church Hall where we were holding the reunion. We gathered at the hall so we could park our cars and walk from there. We had a knowledgeable guide take us on the brisk tour of some of the Bramhill haunts in Epworth.

Stanley Firth grew up in the area and is knowledgeable about his Bramhill ancestors.

The first location was right across the street – Bramhill Yard. Bramhill Yard wrapped around this building with the Dutch influenced architecture. Matthew Bramhill (1820 - 1893) and his son John and Eliza Bramhill lived in a small cottage to the right of and behind this building. Richard Bramhill, the Druggist, set up his Drug Store in this building. Now it’s the town’s Post Office.

From there we walked to the Epworth Cemetery.

            Stanley showed us where Matthew Bramhill was buried. The grave is listed on the cemetery records but there is no gravestone to mark the grave. The records also indicated that the grave had never been paid for and still owed. Of course we did not offer to pay the bill.

John and Eliza Bramhill are both buried here. They had lived in Bramhill Yard with John’s father Matthew. John is the head of many of the Bramhill lines we have been documenting.

Richard Bramhill was the Druggist in Epworth. He operated his Drug Store in the building at the front of Bramhill Yard.

Stanley’s Grandparents are also buried here. Walter and Ruth lived and worked in the Epworth area. Walter was a Porter at the local Railroad Station.

Stanley also showed us a memorial to his father, Stanley Firth, that the family kept on Walter’s grave. Stanley senior died during the North African campaign in World War II. He is actually buried in North Africa.

            Next stop was the “Rectory” – the home of the Wesleys. The first home was burned down in a fire that John Wesley barely escaped from. This building was then build and the Wesleys continued to reside here while Samuel was Rector of St. Andrews Church.

Another view of The Rectory.

From there we walked down to the old center of Epworth Market Square. In the foreground you can see the Market Cross and just behind it is the Library. For many decades Epworth held a Farmers Market right here in the center of town. The market was essential to live in Epworth.

John Wesley often preached from the steps surrounding the Market Cross. He would come here in the evening and preach to a gather crowd.

One of the streets branching off Market Square.

The Red Lion Hotel has been a part of Epworth for most of the town’s existence. At one time it was a coach inn and still has the building originally used for stables and coach storage. John Wesley often stayed here when he came back to visit Epworth and preach here.

Happy Bramhills

Our next stop was St. Andrew’s Church – the Anglican Parish Church of Epworth. It was built in the early 1300s and has severed Epworth ever since. Many Bramhills worshiped here over the years. Samuel Wesley, father of John and Charles Wesley, was the Rector here when John and Charles were born.

            It was here at St. Andrews that John Wesley used to preach to crowds from Epworth. He was not allowed to preach inside the church because his teachings did not support the Anglican Church so John Wesley would stand on top of his father’s grave and preach to crowds gathered in the Cemetery around the church.

            A view of part of St. Andrew’s Church Cemetery.

Pulpit inside the church.

            This is the Baptismal Font just inside the door at St. Andrews. John and Charles Wesley were baptised here as is depicted in the drawing below.

Several of our Bramhill ancestors were also baptised here such as George Bramhill (b. 1818) who emigrated to Canada. You can see a list on the webpage “The Parish Church of St. Andrew – Epworth”

We concluded our Walking Tour with St. Andrews Church. It was a wonderful feeling to think that we were walking where our ancestors walked.

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