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The Isle (or properly Peninsula) of Purbeck is nine or ten miles
broad, and perhaps twenty long, running nearly from north-east to

south-west. Two mountains run almost the whole length with
valleys both between them and on each side, but poorly cultivated.
The people in general are plain, artless good-natured, and well
behaved. If the labourers here are zealous and active, they will
surely have a plentiful harvest.

John Wesley’s Journal August 1787
Mon. 13. – We set out from Yarmouth with a fair wind; but it soon
turned against us, and blew so hard in the afternoon we were glad
to put in at Swanage. I found we still had a little society here. I had
not seen them for thirteen year, and had no thought of seeing them
now; but God does all things well. In the evening I preached in the
Presbyterian meeting-house, not often, I believe, so well filled; and
afterwards passed half an hour very agreeably with the minister, in
the parsonage-house, which he rents, a neat, retired house, with a
delightful garden. Thence we adjourned to the house of our old
brother Collins, and between eight and nine went on board.
(a note on ‘our old brother Collins’ – John Collins was a quarry-
man, who subsequently began preaching after his own conversion,
when the church was without an incumbent).

Extract from: Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Swanage
Pre-urban February 2011
There was an increasing non-conformist community, particularly
amongst the quarrymen in Swanage, largely started due to the
efforts of William Clark, the minister of Wareham in the late 17th
and early 18th century. Initially preaching was in private houses,
but in 1705 a Presbyterian meeting-house was built on the High
Street. He is reputed to have stayed in a house on the High Street,
later known as ‘John Wesley’s Cottage’.
(a note on William Clark: It is not clear whether members had left
St Mary’s due to the Act of Uniformity, but there were enough
dissenters for Rev William Clark to walk over to Swanage during a
week day and lead worship in a house in Church Hill. A secret
signal was used to summon the quarrymen to worship. At least
once he escaped from his persecutors by hiding in a quarry.

There are references to this period in Rollo Woods’ book
‘A History of Swanage United Reformed Church’ 2005.

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