Jane Welborne

Obituary

Ann Reynolds nee Welborne Died 16th December 1892 The Ballarat Star Monday 9th January 1893. Page 2. At the Lydiard street Wesleyan Church last evening an “in memoriam” service was held in connection with the death of the late Mrs Geo. Reynolds, who was one of the pioneers of Methodism in Ballarat. The text was taken from Rev., xiv, 13, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” The sermon was a most impressive one. During the service the choir rendered Pope’s ode, “The dying Christian.” At the close of the discourse the rev. gentleman read a brief memoir of the deceased lady, from which the following extracts are taken:—The late Mrs Reynolds was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church for 53 years. In May 1851 she left England for Australia, and early in 1853 came to Ballarat. The first place of worship was erected by the Wesleyans in September 1851, the walls being of saplings interwoven with boughs and a tarpaulin roof. The cost of the building was defrayed by a collection of nuggets. We had no minister on the ground, but our noble local preachers and stewards without waiting for any ecclesiastic authority began to preach from the stumps in the open air. When Mr and Mrs Reynolds arrived a large number of diggers were gathered at Winter’s Flat, below Magpie. In March 1853 a meeting was held to collect subscriptions to purchase a tent for the preaching of the gospel and for Sunday and day school. The amount collected was £39.3s. Amongst the list of subscribers preserved in the circuit book occur the names of James Lowe (the father of the Rev. James Lowe of Sebastopol), Mr and Mrs J. Oddie, Mr and Mrs Joseph Hill, Mr and Mrs Reynolds. Before the tent could be got ready another rush took place to Wesley Hill, near Pennyweight, as it was also called. The tent was moved to Wesley Hill, and services started. Class meetings were established one of these being held in Mr Reynolds’ tent, Mrs Reynolds being appointed leader. No minister arrived till 3rd September of the same year, and he then found a place of worship erected; religious services being carried on twice a day on Sundays. A Sunday school in full work and class and prayer meetings systematically maintained. Mrs Reynolds proved a valuable worker. Subsequently the tent was moved to Mount Pleasant. Soon after services were established on the present site of the Lydiard street Wesleyan Church. Mrs Reynolds joined the society, and continued to be a member of the church till her death, on Friday, 16th December.

George and Ann Reynolds are buried in the Old Cemetery WN Section 02, Row 2, Grave 24 Ann lived at 58 Raglan st sth at the time of her death