Buglass, John Bedlington (1845-1916)

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1916

Early years

John was born on 12 June 1848 at Sunderland, Co Durham. In the 1851 census his widowed mother, Dorothy, is described as a pauper laundress. At the time of the 1861 census, John was working as a plumber’s apprentice. John began work at the age of eight.

John was converted during a love feast at the Maligns Rigg Church. He immediately became a Sunday School teacher, then a local preacher. He attended the Theological Institute at Sunderland before embarking on circuit ministry.

John was of ruddy complexion, average height, strong build, and wiry constitution, he was capable of great endurance.

Ministry

As a preacher, John was not remarkable for pathos and humour, but all his sermons revealed careful thinking, sound reasoning, correct exegesis, evangelical truth, and genuine feeling.

In September 1914, John and his wife moved to live at Ramsey, Isle of Man, where they continued to serve the church in retirement.

Family

John married Elizabeth Dinah Smith (1842-1915) on 18 June 1874 at Stockport, Cheshire. Elizabeth was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Smith. Census returns identify five children.

  • Ralph Smith Bedlington (1875-1950) – a newspaper compositor (1916)
  • Mary Hannah (1877-1947) – married Samuel Walpole, a PM Minister
  • Florence Sarah (1878-1881)
  • Lily (b1880) – an invoice clerk (1911)
  • Herbert Thomas Bedlington (1883-1918) – a post office sorting clerk (1901); died in WW1, Corporal in Royal Engineers

John died on 4 February 1916 at Levenshulme, Manchester, Lancashire. He was interred at Ramsey, Isle of Man.

Circuits

  • Sunderland
  • 1870 Douglas
  • 1871 Preston Brook
  • 1874 Knowlwood
  • 1876 Chester I
  • 1879 Holborn Hill
  • 1880 Helmshore
  • 1883 Swaffham
  • 1884 Cambridge I
  • 1886 Norwich
  • 1889 Ely
  • 1890 Bacup
  • 1893 Ramsey
  • 1897 Chorley
  • 1900 Nelson
  • 1903 Rugby
  • 1904 Whitehaven
  • 1907 Warrington
  • 1910 Rochdale
  • 1912 Stockport (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907/381; 1916/409

PM Minutes 1916/272

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

 

Comments about this page

  • Jill,
    Thank you for the information about John’s father.

    By Geoff Dickinson (20/01/2023)
  • John Bedlington Buglass’ father was David Walter Buglass, a surgical instrument maker and later spirit merchant, who was convicted of forging and uttering in 1844 and sentenced to transportation for 15 years. He was still alive in 1851, but was living in Melbourne, Australia and had remarried, despite Dorothy still being alive. He died in 1867.

    By Jill Brewer (20/01/2023)

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