Charles Wesley's House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charles Wesley's House |
|
|---|---|
Charles Wesley's house, No. 4 Charles Street, Bristol
|
|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°27′37″N 2°35′32″W / 51.4603°N 2.5923°W |
Charles Wesley's House is a special old building at 4 Charles Street in Bristol, England. It was the home of Charles Wesley, who wrote many famous hymns and helped start the Methodist church. He lived here with his wife, Sarah, from 1749 to 1778.
This house was Charles Wesley's main home for many years, especially between 1756 and 1771. It was also where his sons, Charles Jr. and Samuel, grew up. Both boys were amazing young musicians, known as "child prodigies." They later became very famous organists and composers. Today, the inside of the house looks just like it did in the 1700s, with furniture and decorations from that time.
The Wesley Family's Life
Charles Wesley (1707–1788) and his wife, Sarah Gwynne (1726–1822), moved into this house in September 1749. They had just gotten married earlier that year.
At first, Charles often traveled around the country to preach. This was called "itinerating." Sarah sometimes went with him. By 1756, all this traveling made him tired and unwell. After that year, he stopped making long trips to faraway places. However, he still spent a lot of time in London, helping the Methodist community there.
Charles was like the main Methodist minister for Bristol. Records from St James's Church called him a "preacher at the Horsefair." Charles and Sarah had several children. All of them were baptized at St James's Church. Their sons, Charles Jr. (born 1757) and Samuel (born 1766), became very well-known. They also had a daughter named Sarah (born 1759), who was often called Sally. Other children they had sadly died young and were buried in the St James's churchyard.
Amazing Young Musicians
Charles Jr. and Samuel learned most of their early music right at home. Their mother was their first music teacher. She had a beautiful singing voice and played the harpsichord. The family loved playing hymn tunes and music by the famous composer Handel.
The boys also had lessons from local church organists. Charles Jr. started lessons around age six with Edmund Rooke. Mr. Rooke was the organist at All Saints' Church and later at Bristol Cathedral. Samuel, also around age six, had lessons from David Williams, who was the organist at All Saints' Church.
Charles Jr. performed publicly in Bristol. In 1769, he played a harpsichord concerto at the Assembly Room. In 1774, he played an organ concerto at Bristol Cathedral during Easter. Samuel was a bit upset that day because he had hoped to be the one performing!
In 1771, the family started having two homes. One was in Bristol, and the other was in London. Charles and Charles Jr. moved to the London house that year. By 1778, the whole family had moved to London. The London house was later taken down in the mid-1800s.
House Design and History
The two houses at 4 and 5 Charles Street are connected. They are considered very important historic buildings by English Heritage. They are called "Grade II* listed buildings." This means they are special and protected.
The houses were built in the early 1700s. They are in an early Georgian style. They are made of brick and have three stories. At the front, each house has two sash windows on each floor. These windows have special stepped stones above them called voussoirs. Today, these historic houses are surrounded by more modern buildings.
See Also
- John Wesley's New Room
- John Wesley's House
- Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
