The Acle Circuit Plan of October 1903 noted that “during the past quarter we have been cheered by conversions in our services.” In October and November 1903, a series of revival services were held throughout the Acle Circuit. Freethorpe held the services every day from Sunday 25th October through to the next Friday. There were three preachers at the Sunday service and two at each week-night service, including Freethorpe’s own preachers: William Youngs on Monday, Ben Sutton on Tuesday, and Arthur Shearing and George Youngs on Friday. That’s 6 services and 13 preachers in a week of prayer for revival.
The revival first stirred close to Freethorpe at Limpenhoe around 1904. A lady by the name of Flora Linford (c.1872-1929) proposed a prayer meeting, saying “Don’t you think if I played and two or three spoke, we might have a revival?” So a prayer meeting was arranged. Henry Waters and Charles Brock (Junior) spoke and “people began to come. Mrs Brister went home and told her husband to go and he got converted.” The boyfriend of Mrs Maud Sharman found himself converted after being dragged along to a meeting. “They were times one never forgets,” wrote Anna Brock. The revival spread through the Acle Circuit.
We may trace its impact at Freethorpe in the young men of the village coming forward to be local preachers in 1905 and 1906. Of the 16 new local preachers from Freethorpe between 1883 and 1948, 6 came onto full plan in those two years, 1905 and 1906. Anna Brock’s husband, Charles, by then living at Limpenhoe, became a preacher in 1908.
A few years later, in 1912, there was another instance of revival at Freethorpe. Details are scarce, but it was highly significant to the circuit minister at the time, who described it as the highlight of his long ministry.
Abraham Hill (1880-1952) served two spells as minister of Acle Primitive Methodist Circuit, from 1908 to 1914 and again from 1924 to 1930. His ministry was almost entirely within East Anglia. “He was one of those men who gave of his best to his Church and people, with the result that everywhere he was regarded with deep affection. Two of his terms were outstanding. One was at Acle, where he spent in all twelve years. During one of his ministries in this circuit, a revival broke out in one of the villages (Freethorpe), when several young men and women were brought into membership with the Church. Other places caught the flame and fine evangelistic work was accomplished. Fragrant memories of his service in that area are still cherished.”
Unpublished memoirs of Anna.Brock aged 90, p.6-7
Buried in the Freethorpe Methodist Cemetery
Transcription from Minutes of Methodist Conference 1953 on www.myprimitivemethodist.org.uk