▶Date of birth:  1829        Place of birth: Dublin

▶Father:  James Davey     Mother: Ann

▶Spouse(s): Ann Jones     Date(s) of marriage:  19 August 1862     Place(s) of marriage: Evesham

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Wesleyan Methodist minister)

▶Lifestory: Austin Davey was a Wesleyan minister who worked for many years in mainly northern places, moving to the South and the Midlands as he grew older. He was born in Dublin in 1830, the son of James Davey, a paper-maker, and his wife Ann. In 1841 the family lived at Kendal in Westmorland. Wesleyan Methodist ministers were allocated stations for a period of one or more years; he entered the ministry at Atherstone, Warwickshire in 1858, and then moved on to Dudley in 1859 and Evesham 1860-1 (though he was provisionally selected first for Leamington). Davey married Ann, daughter of Joseph Jones, of Badsey, Worcestershire, at Evesham in 1862; the couple had at least two daughters and a son.

The Revd. Davey was an active preacher, and further appointments saw him move to Wolverhampton 1862-4 (he was present at the inauguration of the New Chapel in 1862), Leek, Staffordshire 1865-7 (where he came into conflict with an Anglican curate who did not acknowledge Methodist ministers in his parish), and Nantwich, Cheshire 1868.

From this point he was normally the Superintendent minister of his region: Crewe, Cheshire 1869-70, Stockport (Hillgate) 1871-3, Dewsbury 1874-6, Haworth and Oakworth, Yorkshire 1877-9, Gateshead (High West Street) 1880-2, London (City Road) 1883-5, and Leeds (Wesley) 1886; although allocated South Molton in Devon,he requested permission to become a Supernumerary minister for one year only, though he took on the role of Superintendent of the Portishead Mission in Bristol later in 1887 and was present at the opening of the new Wesleyan Chapel, despite what may have been health issues.

In 1888 he was appointed Superintendent Minister for the Cheltenham region, and remained there until 1890; between 1889 and 1891 he lived at the Wesleyan Superintendent’s residence, 27 Clarence Square in Pittville. Later appointments were at Williton, Somerset 1891-3 (though he was originally allocated to Swindon) and Hitchin, Hertfordshire 1894-6. In 1897 he received permission to revert to being a Supernumerary Minister in the Bedford and Northamptonshire region and was allowed to retire from active duty in the Church.

However, in August 1897 he resumed his ministry at East Grinstead, Sussex, hoping that the change of air would benefit his health. At the time of the 1901 census he was working at East Grinstead, where he lived with his wife. He resigned his circuit post later in the year and died there in September 1901, at the age of seventy-two. His estate at death was valued at £274 for probate.

▶Moved to Pittville from: Bristol       Moved from Pittville to: Williton, Somerset

▶Date of death:  6 September 1901     Place of death: East Grinstead, Sussex

▶Date of burial:   10 September 1901      Place of burial: East Grinstead cemetery

▶Notes:  Joseph Hall, Hall's circuits and ministers; an alphabetical list of the circuits in Great Britain, with the names of the ministers stationed in each circuit; together with the appointments to departments and other offices from 1765 to 1912 (1914)      ID: 5632

Contributor(s):  John Simpson