Francis Bottome

BOTTOME,  Francis (‘Frank’).  b. Belper, Derbyshire, 26 May 1823; d. Tavistock, Devon, 29 June 1894. As a young man he was greatly influenced by the Methodists in his native town, and was called upon to preach to them. After training under Thomas Jackson and obtaining a local preacher’s license, serving the Belper Circuit, he went to Guelph, Canada, as a missionary to the Native Americans. His health broke down, and he went to New York en route for England. In New York he recovered in the hands of a skilful physician, who introduced him to Sands Street Methodist Episcopal Church. There he met Margaret McDonald (1827-1906. See note below): they were married in 1850. In the same year he was...