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Primitive Methodists in Flitton

The first mention of Primitive Methodism in Flitton is in February 1861 when the dwelling house occupied by George Downing was registered as a Primitive Methodist meeting. A month later the census was taken and George Downing's house was listed as fourteen dwellings from the White Horse. This suggests that it was somewhere on Flitton Hill. George was 40 years old and an agricultural labourer. His wife Ann was 38 and his eldest girl, Emma, 16 and a bonnet sewer, as was a twelve year old daughter called Ellen. Two sons, Charles aged 14 and Arthur aged 10 were agricultural labourers and there were two younger children, Mary Ann aged 5 and Elizabeth aged 1.

Names of a few people from the village are recorded in the Bedford Primitive Methodist Circuit baptism register [MB1854]. There are a number of entries for Silsoe but only one for Flitton: Charles Earnest, son of James and Hannah Virgin was baptised on 31st May 1874. The cause was obviously not strong in the village.

There are no further references to Primitive Methodism in Flitton in records held by Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service. There was a Primitive Methodist meting in Silsoe and a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in nearby Greenfield.