User:WilyD/William Case/Alvin Torry

Alvin Torry was a Methodist circuit rider.

Torry was born 27th July, 1797 in Stafford, Connecticut. His parents converted to Methodism around the time of his birth, and he was raised a Methodist. They soon moved to Butternut Creek, a town undergoing a Methodist revival.

Torry was accepted on trial as a circuit rider in 1816. That year he was assigned to the Cayuga circuit, alongside Loring Grant. The following year, he was sent to the Scipio circuit. In 1818, he was assigned to the Long Point circuit, where he rode alongside David Youmans. Youmans was reassigned early in the year, and James Jackson was sent to the Long Point circuit, but Jackson quit circuit riding shortly after his arrival, leaving Torry alone on the circuit. He remained the lone rider of the circuit in 1819. In 1820, he was reassigned to the Ancaster circuit, where he rode alongside George Ferguson. Membership in the Episcopal church decreased slightly on Ancaster that year.

In 1821, he received his Elder's orders. That year, he was assigned to the Lyon's creek circuit. While riding the circuit, he decided to visit the Mohawks of the six nations that resided near his circuit. After two such meetings, during which he discussed the matter of religion with the Mohawks, he became convinced that the Methodist church would be able to proslytise to the Six Nations, a matter that he brought to the attention of the Presiding Elder, William Case. Case had already been considering this, and assigned Torry to be a missionary to the Six Nations. In 1822, he was assigned to the Grand River mission. At the end of the year, Torry reported thirty white settlers from the areas he was missionary to were Methodists, no Indians had been converted. The ground had been laid, however, and in 1823 the first Indians would convert to Methodism: Mary Jones, and her brother Peter Jones.