William Losee
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William Losee (30 June 1757 – 16 October 1832) a Methodist circuit rider in the United States and Upper Canada.
Although not the first Methodist to preach in what was then the single British colony of Quebec, William Losee was the first to be officially appointed by the New York Conference to preach in Quebec (in the region known as Upper Canada after 1791). He had previously worked the Champlain circuit in New York. His preaching resulted in immediate conversions in what was then largely wilderness regions punctuated by tiny villages and isolated cabins. An early source reports that Losee was famous for vehement preaching and imploring God to smite sinners. On one occasion, while being heckled during a religious meeting, he pointed at the heckler and proclaimed "Smite him, my God!" The man, whose name is reported to have been Joseph Brouse, fell to the ground writhing in agony only to later rise and repent of his sins.
In 1791 Losee returned to Upper Canada to ride the Kingston (or Cataraqui) circuit. In 1792 the circuit was divided into two and Losee was returned by the New York Conference with a second Methodist circuit rider, Darius Dunham. Dunham took over the Cataraqui circuit and Losee assumed the new Oswegotchie circuit. It would seem, however, that Losee had fallen deeply in love with a woman living on the Cataraqui circuit. Dunham fell in love with the same woman. The woman chose Dunham and Losee almost lost his sanity as a result. He quietly resigned from the ministry, returned to New York, and spent the rest of his life working a trade.
