Darney, William (1709–1774)

Converted in the Scottish awakening in 1740, Darney became a wandering pedlar-preacher, and in 1743 organized religious societies in Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. William Grimshaw came strongly under his influence, and proved to be the catalyst to secure Darney's societies for JW's Methodism in 1747 and Darney himself as one of JW's preachers. Darney's enthusiasm was difficult to keep within bounds, however, and he was irked by JW's firm discipline. On several occasions he was reprimanded, and only escaped dismissal for Calvinistic preaching, insistence on singing his own hymns, and uncouth behaviour, by the special pleading of Grimshaw. When the 1768 Conference prohibited preachers from following a trade, Darney left the itinerancy and returned to the Rossendale area as a local preacher. See Atmore, Memorial, 100–101; DEB, 292; and Vickers, Dictionary, 87.