George Wainwright - Father of Totley Methodism

Many of the early Methodists in the Sheffield district reached an exceptional old age. William Woodhouse of Hallam was 94 years old when he was buried at All Saints, Ecclesall on 25 May 1821. Samuel Birks of Thorpe Hesley attained the age of 99 years before he was buried at Wentworth Chapelry on 15 August 1825. But the "king" of them all was George Wainwright, who lived in Totley for almost fifty years and who was buried at St. John the Baptist, Dronfield on 18 April 1821 at the reputed age of 107.

It is quite remarkable that so much information has survived for almost two hundred years about an ordinary person. He was born on the last day that Queen Anne was on the throne and lived through the entire reigns of the first three Georges. Rev. William R. Gibson, vicar of Dore, devotes a few pages of his History of Dore (1927) to George Wainwright but his observations, like most later accounts, rely heavily on Rev. James Everett's book Sketches of Wesleyan Methodists in Sheffield (1823) for George's basic biographical details. 

It was around 1760 that George Wainwright offered the Methodists the safety of his own home and let them preach there. Rev. Everett says that "Few places, for the size had greater disturbances in them than Totley. The people were determinately opposed to everything in the form of religion; which reflects the greater honour on the man who opened his door for the truth." The violence evidently stopped when a young man who had been one of the worst perpetrators met with a sudden and untimely death. His accomplices interpreted it as a judgment. George remained a Methodist for all of his long life and it is assumed that he led the small group of Methodists in Totley for a number of years.

Totley Roughs (from "History of Dore")

King George III ascended to the throne on 25 October 1760 and in 1809, when aged 71, he celebrated his Jubilee. On 24 October 1809, an announcement appeared in the Sheffield Iris seeking 71 poor men, of the age of His Majesty or upwards, who would be invited to the Cutlers' Hall where they would be given great coats and hats and provided with a dinner. Of approximately 250 old men who applied, 161 were found to qualify from which 71 were chosen including George Wainwright who would then have been aged 95 and the oldest of them all. 

He must have been held in high regard because a subscription was raised to pay to have his portrait painted. The celebrated Leeds-born artist, Charles Henry Schwanfelder was commissioned to paint the picture which was to be presented to the Cutlers' Company and hung in the Cutler's Hall. However, so many of the guarantors had died before the picture was completed that instead of it being paid for by subscription it was bought by Robert Brightmore, the Master Cutler, for the sum of 200 guineas (around £25,000 in today's terms). It remained in his family until 1926 when it was finally presented to the Cutlers' Company.

In reporting the history of the portrait, the Sheffield Daily Telegraph said that George had been employed by the grandfather of Robert Brightmore's nephew, Samuel Mitchell of The Mount, who owned the picture at one time. Samuel Mitchell was a grandson of Thomas Boulsover, who invented the process of silver plating about 1742, and who lived at Whiteley Wood Hall. Thomas was also a supporter of the early Methodists and, thanks to his legacy, a chapel was built at Whiteley Wood in 1789. Presumably this accounts for George's move there from Totley.

During the later years of his life, it became customary for some Sheffield gentlemen to pay for a dinner for George and his descendants on the anniversary of his birthday. For the last of these annual events, on Sunday 28 January 1821, a service was held at Dore when a hymn, specially composed for the event by John Holland, was sung (the words are in our Newspaper Archive). George and 53 of his descendants sat down to the meal that followed. George retained his full faculties during the last years of his life and he died peacefully, his body being quite free from disease but simply "worn out". 

St. Michael and All Angels, Hathersage

In a letter to the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, signed S.O.A. [Sidney Oldall Addy], and published on 1 August 1911, the comment was made that there was considerable doubt as to the exact age at which George Wainwright died, and reference should be made to the parish registers to confirm it. It appears that no one took up the challenge. About his death there can be little doubt. The entry in the register at St. John the Baptist, Dronfield says that George Wainwright of Dore was buried on 18 April 1821 at the age of 107 years. Rev. Everett wrote that George died four days after his visit on 11 April 1821 which seems entirely plausible. 

So far, however, we have been unable to trace a baptism record for George. St. John the Baptist, Bamford was not founded until 1859, so if George was born at Bamford in 1714, as stated, he would probably have been baptised three miles away at St. Michael and All Angels, Hathersage which dates from the 14th century. There are several baptisms of Wainwrights, variously spelled, around this time: Joseph (1704), Mary (1706), Elizabeth (1709), John (1712), Henry (1719) and Thomas (1724), all the sons and daughters of one John Wainwright. As was customary in those times, the mother's name was not recorded in the parish register. But there is no baptism of a George. There was a George Wainwright that was baptised at Norton in 1719 but he died the following year. 

We have found no mention of the names of George's parents in the books and newspapers but it was said that both his father and mother lived to a very great age. John Dunstan gives the ages of 95 for George's father and 96 for his mother but does not say where they come from. The burial of Hannah Wainwright at Hathersage on 17 December 1769 would seem to be the only one that fits that description. There is a marriage of a John Wainwright to a Hannah Seel at Hathersage on 7 May 1702 and a baptism of Hannah Seele, daughter of John, at Hathersage on 29 April 1677. So it is tempting to think that these might be George's parents and siblings but we have not been able to find a burial for John Wainwright that might fit the age of 96.

We have also checked the parish registers for details of George's wife and children. There is a marriage by banns of George Wainwright to Hannah Camm on 22 October 1744 at St. John the Baptist, Dronfield and the baptism of ten children all born in Totley: Thomas (1745), Hannah (1746), Micah (1851), Lois (1754), John (1757), Elizabeth (1758), Martha (1760), George (1763), an unnamed daughter (1766) and finally Sarah (1769). St. John's parish register also shows that Hannah, the wife of George Wainwright of Totley, was buried in Dronfield on 4 February 1791. No age is given. 

It was said that at the time of George's death, his direct descendants numbered five children, twenty-eight grandchildren, seventy-eight great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren - a total of a hundred and thirteen living descendants!

December 2020