It must have been one of those "fire and brimstone" sermons, so popular in those days, for we read "the arrow of conviction entered his conscience, and he was brought in penitence to the foot of the cross". From that day, Methodist preachers were invited to his house, and it became for many years the home of the local Society. Sproxton Methodism therefore owes its early existence under God, to the zeal of the Coy family. Mrs. Margaret Coy was its first member until she passed away, at the age of 72, on November 17, 1832. Thomas, her son, who married Ann Christian of Skillington, carried on as leader until his death at the early age of 45 on May 15, 1834, leaving a widow and eight children. The father, in age and feebleness, survived only a few more year, then he too passed to his reward. The problems of rural causes are quite as formidable in their way as are those faced in the to\'; n. The coming or going of one family can make the difference of life or death to village community. Membership constitutes a continual anxiety as this table, culled from our record shows, 1804 1820 1840 1863 1920 1880 1965 13 19 15 6 34 23 15 In 1840 the Leader was Robert Ward who was also a Lay Preacher. When, in due course he became Circuit Steward he relinquished his leadership and was succeeded by Andrew Bond. According to White's Directory of 1846 there were two chapels in Sproxton a Wesleyan, which we have located up a narrow alley off the main street. It has now become two cottages. The Primitive Methodist seems to have faded out of history as nobody now living knows anything about it. At this period the Trustees of the Wesleyan Chapel were drawn mainly from surrounding villages. They were - Robert Ward, Senior and Junior, Henry Coy Sproxton), Edward Ingle (Colsterworth), John and Thomas Christian, John Houghton and Benjamin p Bright (Skillington), William Hind, William Handley and Joseph M. Wilders (Croxton Kerrial) and David Dixon (Grantham). John Coy (1826-1905) left Sproxton for a career in Leicester. We are informed that “He commanded the respect and esteem of his fellowmen in commercial, municipal, social and religious circles”. He never forgot his indebtedness to the church of his boyhood, he paid frequent visits to the village, kept in close touch with the Grantham Circuit, and his support was continuous and considerable.