Gravestones ofSamuel and Mary (O’Bryan) Thorne 0055 Call. 
     
    
   
   
    
     munity which was destined to grow and multiply and its ministry to spread 
     
     through the west of England, to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and China. 
     
     John Cotton, Richard Spettigue, and Hatton Rattenbury were the first circuit 
     
     stewards in the Bible Christian history. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1816, the membership was two hundred and thirty-seven at the first 
     
     Quarterly Meeting. Young James Thorne’s name was placed on the plan. A year 
     
     later, there were nine hundred and twenty members. The land for the chapel of 
     
     Shebbear was given by John Thorne, and he and his son, James, worked to open 
     
     Ebenezer Chapel in 1818. It is here in the graveyard at the chapel are found the 
     
     stones of John and Mary Thorne, their sons, James and Samuel, William Reed, 
     
     and his sisters, Grace and Catherine. 
     
    
   
   
    
     James Thorne, the great Bible Christian preacher, was born at North Furze 
     
     Farm, Shebbear, in 1795, later moved to Lake Farm, Shebbear, and here welcom- 
     
    
   
   
    
     ed O’Bryan. Other able men, William Reed, Edmund Warne, Francis Metherall, 
     
     Harry Major, William Bailey, and William Mason, were present at early con— 
     
     ferences. 
     
    
   
   
    
     James Thorne toiled endlessly and would walk over thirty miles a day 
     
     preaching at four or five places. “Bless the Lord,” he exclaimed, “who gives us 
     
     strength according to the day.” He also helped his brother, Samuel, with 
     
     farming, printing, brick and tile making, producing a monthly magazine, com— 
     
     posing Conference hymns, and with O’Bryan’s help, compiling a hymn book. 
     
    
   
   
    
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