Prince, John (1856-1937)

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914

Early years

John was born on 1 May 1856 at Penkhull, nr Mow Cop, Staffordshire.

When in his teens there came a broadening of the mind, a keen desire for knowledge, and a new birth in the Spirit. John began his preparations for the preachers plan at the age of eighteen. John spent six months as a hired local preacher on the Leek circuit before being received into the ministry at the Conference of 1878.

Ministry

John spent almost all of his ministry within forty miles of his childhood home. His obituary records that John was a great lover of his Lord and a gracious and helpful preacher of the Gospel. He never ceased to grow in mental and spiritual appreciation of truth.

John served as district Orphanage Secretary and for two years was secretary of the Sheffield Primitive Methodist Council.

Family

John married Fanny Marshall (1860-1935) in the summer of 1883 at Salford, Lancashire. Census returns identify three of four children.

• Ruth Ethel (1884-1928)
• Annie Louie (b1886) – a school teacher (1911), married Henry Whiteley in 1935
• Harold (b1888) – an assistant teacher (1911); later a garage proprietor (1937)

John died on 2 April 1937 at Blackpool, Lancashire.

Circuits

• 1878 Cheltenham
• 1879 Wirksworth
• 1880 Coningsby
• 1881 Boston
• 1882 Winster
• 1883 Whitchurch
• 1886 Chester I
• 1888 Birkenhead
• 1890 Plymouth
• 1891 Manchester IV
• 1893 Manchester IX
• 1895 Bradwell
• 1898 Market Drayton
• 1900 Hull I
• 1901 Driffield
• 1905 Tetney
• 1908 Wirksworth
• 1911 Sheffield II
• 1914 Nottinghan VI
• 1916 Blackpool (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914/590; 1916/510

Methodist Minutes 1937/205

W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers