Researching women in Methodism

Sources for women's studies in the Methodist archives

[Susanna Wesley]
'The Mother of Methodism', Susanna Wesley (1670-1742)
John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1996

The Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC) is the official archive repository of the British Methodist Church. It contains the largest collection of Methodist printed books and manuscripts in Europe, and is regarded as one of the world's most important collections of source material relating to evangelical studies.

The books and records contained in the Archives document the activities of the Church on a national level from the early eighteenth century to the present. Local records, such as circuit minutes and accounts, are not held at the MARC but are kept locally. Similarly, records of Methodist overseas missions are not kept here, but are on deposit at the Library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

This guide, while it is not comprehensive, aims to introduce researchers to selected material deposited in the MARC which is relevant to the study of women and the Methodist Church. It is aimed specifically at postgraduate students but will also be of value to the more general user of the collections.