Leafe, Charles (1845-1918)
Early years
Charles was born on 5 December 1845 at Woodborough, nr Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.
Charles was converted through Sunday School at the age of fourteen. In the following year his name appeared on the plan. Prior to entering circuit ministry, Charles spent a year as one of the first students in the Sunderland Institute.
Ministry
Whilst at Gainsborough over two periods totalling eight years, Charles was able to double both circuit income and membership. A fine new chapel and premises were erected during his first term.
His obituary records that in his first circuits, Charles did great evangelistic work, and many souls were brought into the Kingdom of God; but in later years, largely because of being attached to needy churches, his time and energy were devoted to money raising, of which he became a ‘past master’. The stories and incidents in connection with this work would have made a romance in finance; but the result was thousands of pounds were raised for distressed if not derelict causes.
Family
Charles married Isabella Wilson (1853-1880) in the summer of 1874 at Selby, Yorkshire. Census returns identify three children.
- Elsie (b1877) – married Walter Herbert Rollings, a whiting maker (1911)
- Mary (b1878)
- Wilson (1880-1943) – a bank clerk (1918)
Charles married Anne Matilda Horn (b1866) in the summer of 1909 at Holborn, London.
Charles died in 19 January 1918 at Bush Hill Park, Middlesex.
Circuits
- Sunderland
- 1869 Market Rasen
- 1870 Patrington
- 1872 Selby
- 1874 Gainsborough
- 1878 Hornsea
- 1881 Gainsborough
- 1885 Driffield
- 1890 North Bow
- 1891 Nottingham II
- 1894 Hull IV
- 1898 Dunstable
- 1902 London Kings X
- 1911 London (S)
- 1912 Margate (Ac)
- 1915 Enfield (S)
References
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907/87; 1918/362
PM Minutes 1918/268
W Leary , Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits , 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
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