John Atlay was one of John Wesley’s ministers. In 1773 John Wesley appointed him as Book Room Steward, which meant he was in charge of the Book Room where all of the Wesleyan publications were produced. He was one of the four preachers staying in the house on the morning that John Wesley went into the Chapel for a 5.30am service and found no preacher there. It was then that John Wesley made the role that everyone staying in his house had to be in bed by 9pm.