Wiles, George Edward (1869-1958)

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1920

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1925

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1920

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Primitive Methodist Magazine 1925

Early years

George was born in 1869 at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, to parents Day and Mary Ann. Day was a tailor and toll collector (1871) and died in 1877. George was the youngest of five children brought up by his widowed mother.

George started work, after a limited education, in a brass engineers’ workshop, where he spent nine years. In turn he became a scholar, member, teacher and local preacher at High Town, Luton. He then spent two years as a hired local preacher at Watford and Plymouth before entering Hartley College.

Ministry

Whilst on probation at Mansfield, George was asked by the Missionary Secretary, John Smith, to offer himself for service on the foreign field. George gave ten years of his life to the work on the island of Fernando Po. There he was successively pioneer missionary at Botenos, pastor of the church at Santa Isobel, Industrial Superintendent of the island and General Superintendent of all the stations.

In 1929, William became Home Missionary Secretary.

His obituary records that his frankness, brotherliness, and great-heartedness endeared George to all who knew him, whether Africans troubled in their Protestantism under a Spanish Government, humble folk in various English circuits, or circuit and church officials dealing with the problems of amalgamation in the years following Methodist Union.

Family

George married Louisa Davis (abt1874-1962) in late 1900 at Luton, Bedfordshire. Census returns identify three children.

• Carlos Edward (1904-1995) – a PM Minister
• Dorothy Louisa (1908-1947)
• George Edward (1909-1980) – educated at Elmfield College

George died on 30 November 1958 at Mill Hill, Middlesex.

Circuits

• Hartley
• 1896 Mansfield
• 1898 Fernado Po
• 1904 Tunstall
• 1905 Leicester II
• 1909 Sheffield VIII
• 1913 Hucknall
• 1916 Fernando Po
• 1919 Nottingham III
• 1921 Fernando Po
• 1924 Nottingham V
• 1927 Derby III
• 1929 H.M. Sec
• 1937 London Brent
• 1940 Canning Town (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1920/88; 1925/486

Methodist Minutes 1959/186

R Newman Wycherley, The Pageantry of Methodist Union, 1932, p370

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers