User:WilyD/William Case/Samuel Coate

Samuel Coate was a Methodist preacher.

Born in Burlington, New Jersey to Quaker parents, Coate's family converted to Methodism in his youth. His brother Michael Coate also became a Methodist preacher. Coate was received on trial as a circuit rider in 1794, and rode the Flanders tract. The next year he was stationed in Albany, New York. In 1796, he was assigned to circuits in Canada, where he remained for four years. He rode Bay of Quinte in 1796, Oswegotchie in 1798 and Bay of Quinte in 1799. There he was remarkably successful. In 1800 he was assigned to Burlington, New Jersey. His circuit for 1801 was Philidelphia. In 1802 he was assigned to Baltimore. He stayed there until a return to Canada in 1804. Here he was married to a Miss Ann Dulmage, possibly previously. He was assigned to Montreal in 1805, and served as the Presiding Elder in Lower Canada. He remained in that position in 1806, but took over Nathan Bangs failing preaching in Quebec City a few months into the year. Quebec City did not take favourably to the Methodists, though Coate established a class of 10 members by the year's end. The Coates had a son, Samuel Cochran Coate, born January 29th, 1808 in Edwardsburgh. He was named for fellow circuit rider Sanuel Cochran, and baptised by Joseph Sawyer. He remained the Presiding Elder of the Lower Canada District in 1807 and 1808. These tasks occupied his time so that he was no longer assigned a circuit to ride. This may have also been influence by his poor health. A broken blood vessel in his chest resulted in his doctor ordering him to discontinue preaching. Coate used the time to travel to England and the United States, attending various camp-meetings and engaging in discussions with other church elders.

Coate retired from circuit riding in 1810. Owing to his ill health, he was no longer able to meet the demands of the itinerant preacher lifestyle, and opened a retail shop in Montreal in a partnership with Daniel Fisher. He continued to preach locally as his health permitted. His business did not prosper, and Coate fell into debt. He lost all his property and was forced to abandon the merchant business. He took up selling decorative examples of his exquisite penmanship, writing the Lord's prayer and such in miniature. One such engraving of the Lord's Prayer he took to London and sold for 800 printed copies at £2 each. During his travels in England, selling copies, he abandoned his old lifestyle, going so far as to never again see his wife and daughter, who he had left in Canada during his journey. He died in England, lamenting his downfall.