East Cowes Methodist Church
The Island has a long history with the Methodist Church. John Wesley, its founder, and his brother Charles first visited in 1735 due to bad weather enroute to missionary work in America; Charles found time to preach in Cowes during this inital stop off. John returned to the Island in 1753 and in 1781 he opened the first Chapel in Newport. He last visisted the Isle of Wight aged 84, intending to travel on to the Channel Islands.
Mary Toms was a Cornish preacher and evangelist in the 1820s in the Bible Christian Church (which later amalgamated with other offshoots to form the modern day Methodist church); this was some time before it was considered right and proper for a woman to carry out such a role. One day whilst preaching in Cornwall, she reportedly heard several people talking about the Isle of Wight and it soon became her mission to travel to the Island and save the Caulkheads from their sins. She finally made it to the Island in 1823 aged 27, travelling the 100 miles on the deck of a boat (forgoing a passenger cabin to save a few precious shillings). Landing in East Cowes she is known to have remarked "Oh could you see the sins committed here. I have been led to wonder God hath not sent His judgements as on Sodom!".
She struggled at first to find accomodation, moaning that having spent the night before exposed to the elements on deck, she now found herself walking the streets "with swearers and drunkards" (no change there then!). She had found most rooms unavailable due to arriving during Cowes Regatta week!
Mary proved a popular preacher on the Island and indeed has been recognised as one of the Island's most important Methodist leaders... and it all started here in East Cowes!
East Cowes Methodist Church was built in 1878 by Alderman Edwin James, known as "the builder of modern Binstead"; he was was also head of a list of circuit lay preachers and was very active in the Island Methodist community. The church itself, on the corner of Yarborough Road and Adelaide Grove, has been serving the community ever since, hosting a number of community events as well as describing itself as "a friendly, outgoing and welcoming church".
The cache itself is hidden close by in a highly muggly area, please be stealthy.
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