Transcription of obituary published in the Minutes of Conference
CYRIL WRIGHT BURGIN: born at Leicester on 12th November, 1898 into a strong Methodist family—his father was a Wesleyan and his mother a Primitive Methodist. He grew up in the fellowship of the Hinckley Road Church and, after leaving school at fourteen, he worked for a firm of wholesale chemists, continuing his studies at evening classes. During the First World War he served with the Durham Light Infantry. Later he became a local preacher and, following advice and encouragement by the Rev. Frank Holmes, he was accepted for the ministry by the Primitive Methodist Conference in 1924.
He was trained at Hartley College and served in the Pocklington, Redditch, Stoke Newington, West Monmouth, Southsea, Bradford (Manningham), Melton Mowbray, Kidderminster, Sheffield (North), Sheffield (Norfolk), Chesterfield (Saltergate) and Sheffield (North-East) circuits.
He had the most likeable personality, and genius for, and devotion to, the pastoral ministry. His people quickly discovered that he knew how to share, sympathise and understand, and gave him their complete confidence. In return they received the rich benefits of his wisdom and pastoral counsel. He was a faithful preacher of the gospel, and an excellent administrator, the latter being confirmed during the period he was the successful and efficient Secretary of the Sheffield District Synod. One of the many impressive things about Cyril Burgin was his ability to retain his calm and composure. He seemed to possess hidden reserves and resources which enabled him to meet and treat the unexpected and expected, the favourable and unfavourable alike. Those he served without counting the cost to himself will long remember his gracious, attractive, lovable, and utterly dedicated personality.
In 1956 he retired to Hindhead where he and his wife quickly settled into the life of the Haslemere Church whose members greatly benefited from their gifts and friendship. After an illness of almost a year, Cyril Burgin died peacefully at home on 11th February, 1974 in the seventy-sixth year of his age and the forty-eighth of his ministry.
Family
Cyril was born on 12 November 1898 at Leicester, to parents William, a grocer, and Fanny.
Before entering the Army, Cyril worked as a clerk.
He married Muriel Naomi Jennings (1908-1990) in the summer of 1930 at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Birth records identify two children.
- John W. (b1932)
- Patricia (b1936)
Cyril died on 11 February 1974 at Hindhead, Surrey.
Circuits
- 1924 Pocklington
- 1926 Hartley
- 1928 Redditch
- 1930 Stoke Newington
- 1933 W Monmouth Mission
- 1935 Southsea
- 1939 Bradford Manningham
- 1942 Melton Mowbray
- 1946 Kidderminster
- 1949 Sheffield N
- 1953 Sheffield Norfolk St
- 1958 Chesterfield Salter
- 1962 Sheffield NE
- 1965 Petersfield (S)
References
W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
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