Epworth

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A town located in Lincolnshire, England, known for its historical significance
2. A notable village historically associated with the Wesley family, particularly John Wesley, the founder of Methodism
3. An English parish that has become a center for religious heritage and reflects the growth of the Methodist movement

Etymology: On the night of 9 February 1709, the Wesley rectory at Epworth in Lincolnshire caught fire, and five-year-old John Wesley was left upstairs. A neighbour pulled him out through a window just in time. His mother Susanna later wrote that she believed he had been saved for a special purpose, and John came to see the rescue as a sign of providence, often describing himself as "a brand plucked out of the burning." The name is far older than the Wesleys. Its second element, "worth", is Old English for an enclosure or homestead. The first element is most likely a personal name, perhaps Eppa, so the place probably meant something like "Eppa's enclosure." Many English place names end in "-worth", and most began as ordinary farmsteads like this one.