Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: Abraham Lockwood.] LITTLE ABE; OR, _THE BISHOP OF BERRY BROW_. BEING THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM LOCKWOOD, _A Quaint and Popular Yorkshire Local Preacher in the Methodist New Connexion._ BY F. JEWELL. TWENTY-SECOND THOUSAND. London: PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, ROBERT CULLEY, 25-35 CITY ROAD, AND 26 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. Abraham Pilling, Esq., ASTLEY BRIDGE, BOLTON, I DEDICATE TO YOU THIS RECORD OF THE LIFE AND LABOURS OF ONE WHOSE WORTH YOU KNEW AND APPRECIATED, AS A MARK OF ESTEEM FOR YOUR ZEALOUS EXERTIONS TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. PREFACE. I desire to express my thanks to all those friends who have kindly assisted me in collecting materials for these pages; and I am especially indebted to my friends the Rev. T. D. Crothers and the Rev. W. J. Townsend for the cheerful services they have rendered me in preparing the little work for printing. Whilst trying to give a faithful account of the life and character of Abraham Lockwood, I have done my best to make the narrative both readable and profitable; but I am sensible that there are many faults in the volume. Such as it is, however, I humbly offer it to the public, with the earnest prayer that it may prove a blessing to many. F. JEWELL. BETHEL VILLA, HULL, 1880. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. BIRTH AND PARENTAGE CHAPTER II. EARLY INCIDENTS CHAPTER III. HIS CONVERSION CHAPTER IV. ABE A NEW CHARACTER IN THE VILLAGE CHAPTER V. IN MEMBERSHIP WITH THE CHURCH CHAPTER VI. "FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE" CHAPTER VII. WIND AND TIDE AGAINST CHAPTER VIII. THE CLOUDS BEGIN TO BREAK CHAPTER IX. SALEM CHAPEL CHAPTER X. ABE BECOMES A LOCAL PREACHER CHAPTER XI. IN PRACTICE CHAPTER XII. "BUTTERFLY PREACHERS" CHAPTER XIII. VARIOUS WAYS OUT OF DIFFICULTIES CHAPTER XIV. ABE'S TITLES AND TROUBLES CHAPTER XV. A BASKET OF FRAGMENTS CHAPTER XVI. "I AM A WONDER UNTO MANY" CHAPTER XVII. ABE AS A CLASS LEADER CHAPTER XVIII. "WORKING OVERTIME" CHAPTER XIX METHODIST LOVEFEAST CHAPTER XX. PATIENT IN TRIBULATION CHAPTER XXI. "THE LIBERAL DEVISETH LIBERAL THINGS" CHAPTER XXII. USED UP CHAPTER XXIII. "BETTER IS THE END OF A THING THAN THE BEGINNING" CHAPTER I. Birth and Parentage. Abraham Lockwood was born on the 3rd November, 1792. His birthplace, also called Lockwood, is situated about a mile and half out of Huddersfield.