Robert Strawbridge
Robert Strawbridge (c. 1732 - 1781) was a Methodist preacher born in Drumsna, County Leitrim, Ireland. He is credited with establishing the Methodist movement in North America.
Early life
Robert Strawbridge was born in Drumsna, a city in County Leitrim, Ireland. His exact year of birth is unknown, though historians estimate he was likely born around 1732.[1]
Strawbridge became an itinerant preacher in Ireland, traveling to preach in northwest Ireland.[2] He occasionally worked to erect houses while continuing to preach. Strawbridge married Elizabeth Piper prior to 1760.[3]
Career
Strawbridge emigrated to Frederick County, Maryland between 1760 and 1763.[4] He began organizing class meetings in his home, and later in a nearby erected building.[5] One notable member of Strawbridge's classes was Annie Sweitzer, an enslaved African American woman.[6] Strawbridge itinerated and organized Methodist classes (including training other rpeachers) in multiple states, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[7]
Death and legacy
Strawbridge died in 1781, and his early log meetinghouse has been reconstructed by the Methodist church as the Strawbridge Shrine.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "About". The Strawbridge Shrine. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "About". The Strawbridge Shrine. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "About". The Strawbridge Shrine. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Strawbridge, Robert (?? – 1781) | History of Missiology". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Strawbridge, Robert (?? – 1781) | History of Missiology". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Methodist History: Slave welcomed as one of first members | UMC.org". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Robert Strawbridge House". General Commission on Archives & History. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ http://www.strawbridgeshrine.org/