On November 1st (All Soul’s Day), John Wesley commissioned his house to be built for his own use and for visiting preachers. It was designed by George Dance and built by a local builder and one-time preacher, Samuel Tooth.
Wesley moved into this house on October 9th 1779. He was to use it as his London base during the winter months. He spent the rest of the year, travelling the length and breadth of the country on horseback, spreading the word of God.
As Wesley’s wife had left him some years earlier, he lived as a bachelor and occupied the first floor. The remainder of the house was used by visitors, preachers and servants. Wesley often referred to those staying in the house as his ‘family’.
After Wesley’s death in 1791, the work at Wesley’s Chapel continued and the house became the residence of the Superintendent Minister of the Chapel. In 1898, after extensive restoration, John Wesley’s House was opened to the public as a museum.
