THE METHODIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND
Trustees, Annual Report for Financial Year ended 31 December 2023
Ch8rity Name: The Methodist Historical Society of Ireland IMHSII
Charity Number.. 103661
Address: Edgehill House, 9 Lennoxvale, Belfast, BT9 5BY
Names of Trustees: Dr Fergus O'Ferrall, Rev. Dr Edmund T,1. Mawhinney,. Mr Derek J. Reid,.
Miss Trudy Reid,. Rev. Robin P. Roddie, Mrs Jennifer P. Stutt,. Dr Brian S. Turner
Governance of MHSI: The Methodist Historical Society of Ireland is governed by its
Constitution formally adopted on 15 October 2010. A sub-committee has been appointed to
review the Constitution. A draft revised Constitution will be brought to the 2024 AGM for
approval and adoption.
Principal purposes:
The Society's purposes are:
I, To promote the advancement of the education of the public in connertion with the
history of Methodism.
2. To acquire and preserve books, manuscripts, documents in any medium, and
artefacts, and to provide facilities for study and display of same.
3. To promote conferences, public lectures and pilgrimages and lectures given by
acknowledged authorities on some aspect of Methodism.
4. To publish a journal of the Society once a year or at other such intervals as determined
by the Executive Committee.
5. To raise, invite and receive contributions from any body, person, or persons by way
of subscription, donation, grant or otherwise.
6. To maintain a website to promote the interests. activities, and publications of the
Society.
All of the S¢xletVs purposes are for public benefit.
ACHIEVEMENTS- achievements are listed below for each of the Societys six purpose&
l. Advancement of Education
The Archives continue to welcome academic researchers and those interested in researching
their family history. Queries also come in online and are answered by the Archivist and
Associate Archivist The website continued to be active during this year and continues to
provide some income through sales and charges for scanned copies of requested material. In
particular, there had been a request from a Museum and Historical society based in
Pennsylvania requesting images from Roger Lamb's Commonplace book for a forthcoming
exhibition and publication entitled The Doan Gang - Outlows of the Revolution.
Indexing the Dublin-based monthly the Irish MethtxIi5t Church Record {1893-19291 has now
covered the years up to 1903. In addition the transcribing of a three-volurne index to early
Irish Methodist baptisms from 1815-1858, compiled in 1865 is reaching completion. Indexing
of articles which appeared in the Irish Christian Advocate on Methodist Circuits has been

uploaded to the in-house data base. A catalogue of early manuscript letters of early Methodist
preachers is being uploaded to Library World. A data base of 3-dimensional material is in the
process of being created and, when completed. will be uploaded on to Library World and will
be acce55ible via the website.
The digitisation of Methodist periodicals from 1859-2015 is available online, Feedback
continues to show that this important project is of great interest to scholars, researchers and
those interested in Irish Methodist History across the world.
2. Acquisition and PreseNation of Books, Manuscripts, Documents and Artifacts
Material continues to come in from around the Methodist Church in Ireland and it is estimated
that more than eighty-five per cent of the Church's records are deposited in the archives. A
more unusual acquisition had been an American portable organ which had belonged to Rev.
Dwyer Kelly and used while ministering to the troops in the First World War. Personal papers
belonging to prominent Methodists have also been deposited.
3. Conferences, Publlc Lectures and Pllgrimages.
In April 2023 lan d'Alton gave the Spring Lecture in Dublin entitled Focu5- A Life's Ambition -
Risteard O Glai5ne'5 Irish Protestant Journal. Following the AGM in June 2023, Jane Donovan
gave a lerture entitled, An 1816 Honeymoon in Ireland.. Henry Foxall'5 Connertions to Irish
Ironworking ond Methodism. This was an online lecture. Kevin Miller
from membership subscriptions, donations from churches and circuits and gave the Annual
Lecture in October on From Place to Place.- The Ulster Mi55ion Hall and the Protestant
Denomination5. This was in person and online.
The annual Pilgrimage visited the churches of Castledermot, Carlow, Tullow and Clonegal on
the Carlow Circuit in May 2023.
4. Publication of the Bulletln
The 2023 issue of the Bulletin was published in November and included the transcripts of
Nicola Morris's lecture entitled Looking beyond the Circuit.. The Irish Christian Advocate and
the question of Ireland ofter the Second World War,. lan d'Alton's lecture on Risteard O
Glaisne's Irish Protestant Journal and Jane Donovan's lecture on Henry Foxall. There were
book reviews by Clive D. Field. Richard Vickery, Clive Murray Norris and John R. Tyson.
Raising Financlal Contributions.
Income for the Society is largely generated from rnembers, subscriptions, congregational
donations, and contributions for family genealogical research. In 2023 the Society's
membership remained at 394 including institutional members.
5. Maintaining the Website.
The Society's website continues to be well used with queries regarding research topics and
family histories coming from around the world. Society events are also publicised on the
website.
PUBLIC BENEFIT:
Beneficiaries of the Societys work include anyone with an interest in Irish Methodist History
members of the public researching family history, scholars, researchers, genealogists, and
members of MHSI, both locally and overseas. Those contacting the Society benefit from the
expertise of the Archivist and volunteer staff and, under normal circumstances, have access
to the huge range of resources managed by the Society. The publication of the Bulletin and its
placement in the libraries of every university of Ireland, in academic libraries in the US and

Australia and in legal deposit libraries in both U K and Ireland has ensured a wide-reaching
readership. The increasing number of visitors to the website have access to a wealth of
information which facilitates research both of an academic nature and of local and familv
history. The digitization of the Methodist periodicals, now accessible online generates
considerable interest worldwide. The programme of lectures and the annual pilgrimage foster
and develop interest in people and platss with significant relevance to Methodism. The
continuing acquisition of new materials of special Methodist interest and the careful
preservation of the collection held in the archives, ensures the long-term survival of this
unique material for use of present and future generations. All of the above help to further
understanding, appreciation and knowledge of all aspects of Irish Methodist history and are
for public benefit.
FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Funding for MHSI comes mainly from annual membership subscriptions and donations from
Circuits. In addition, there is a small income derived from sales of books, from donations for
searches and resultant scanning of materials and frorn donations from individuals. The main
items of expenditure include rent, costs associated with the running of the archives,
insurance, printing and stationery and website hosting. At the end of the financial year.
income covered expenditure and there was a Small reserve. There were no funds which were
in deficit.
STATEMENT OF COMPLIAN￿.
The Trustees of the Methodist Historical Society, during the year, complied with their duty to
have regards to the guidance provided by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland when
exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Signature of Trustee..
Position: Trustee and President
Date.. 4 September 2024
Signature of Trustee..
Position: Trustee and Secretary
Date.. 4 September 2024