User:WilyD/William Case/Thomas Demorest

Thomas Demorest was a circuit rider in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Demorest was born 7th March, 1798, in the Canadas. He converted to Methodism around 1813. He was appointed a class leader in 1817 by William Case. Soon after, he was licensed as a preacher, and spent time assisting Isaac Puffer, who was riding the Augusta circuit.

He was received on trial as a circuit rider in 1819. He was assigned to the St. Lawrence circuit in 1819, where he joined Timothy Goodwin. The pair oversaw a membership increase of seventeen. In 1820, he was assigned to the Yonge Street circuit, where he rode alongside James G. Peale and David Youmans. In a year where there was significant decrease in Episcopal church membership due to competition with the Methodist Church of Great Britain, Yonge Street saw an increase of forty three members. In 1821, he was assigned to the Thames circuit, where he rode alongside Ezra Adams. The pair oversaw an increase in church membership of sixty-seven people. In 1822, he was assigned to the Lyon's Creek circuit. In 1823, he was assigned to the "New Settlements", an area to the west of St. Catharine's, where he rode alongside Rowley Heyland.