Dinning, William (1857-1918)
Early years
William was born in 1857 at Carville, County Durham to parents James and Mary. James was a coal miner.
William was converted at the age of fifteen. This event awakened in him the lifelong desire for the best books of the world’s thinkers. William began to preach two years later.
Ministry
By temperament and aptitude, William was somewhat of a literary recluse, and was happiest ‘in a nook with a book.’ He did not pursue office at District or Connexional level, being content to be a circuit minister.
William wrote a brochure on the Tennyson, which was acknowledged with an appreciative letter from the poet.
Family
William married Annie Phelps (b1859) in the summer of 1881 at Hungerford, Berkshire. Census returns identify four of five children.
- Eleanor Mary (1882-1972) – married Harold Holmden Phelps in 1917
- Florence Annie (1883-1969) – married John Kinnish, a PM Minister
- William Ewart Phelps (1885-1950) – a bank clerk (1911)
- Constance Adeline (b1896)
William died on 19 May 1918 on the Isle of Man.
Circuits
- Sunderland
- 1878 Swindon
- 1879 Southampton
- 1880 Bourton
- 1881 Oxford
- 1884 Chester II
- 1886 Manchester III
- 1890 Bury
- 1892 Barrowford
- 1895 Lavender Hill
- 1901 Leeds VII
- 1904 Newton & Hyde
- 1908 Chesterfield
- 1912 Chalfont St Giles
- 1913 Blackburn III
- 1915 Laxey
References
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1912/799; 1918/733
W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
Comments about this page
I’m pleased you’ve seen this Jonathan. William was also one of my great grandfathers through my grandmother Constance Dinning. I’m in regular touch with Sue and Neil Brambell. I think the image above is not Annie Dinning, but your grandmother, ‘Flossie.’
Apologies, I meant the Rev Dinning, not Kinnish
This is wonderful to read – Rev Dinning is my great great grandfather through Florence and John Kinnish. My grandfather was Douglas John Kinnish. Thank you! I hadn’t seen these particular images. I have a very good one of the youngish Rev Kinnish with his wife and babies.
Jonathan Greenland
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