Chrimes, Walter Clarence (1885-1959)

Transcription of obituary published in the Minutes of Conference

WALTER CLARENCE CHRIMES: born at Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, in 1885. He was educated at the Technical School, Brierley Hill, and at the early age of sixteen became a local preacher in the Primitive Methodist Church. Trained at Hartley College, he entered the Ministry in 1911, and served in Cardiff, Ryde and Ventnor, Dalton and Millom, Chorley, Foxhill Bank and Accrington, Lymm, and Plymouth, until, in 1932, he began a ministry of fifteen years at Cradley Heath, Staffordshire. Then, after four years as superintendent of the Wolverhampton (Trinity) Circuit, he retired in 1951. 

His ministry was continued, however, when he took charge of a Free Church at Codsall, a growing suburb of Wolverhampton, and after serving this cause for six years he had the delight of seeing it become a Methodist Church, and part of the Wolverhampton (Trinity) Circuit. 

Possessing a fine presence and vigorous utterance, he was a distinguished preacher whose reputation was widespread. His strong personality and keen insight made him a born leader of men and movements, and this capacity for leadership found expression in his various social interests. In Plymouth he was the pioneer of a large boys’ club, and was the compiler of The Institute Hymn Book for use in this work; he was also zealous for the welfare of discharged prisoners from Dartmoor. He was chairman of the Heathcock Memorial Fund for the assistance of students; vice-chairman of the Rowley Regis Mental Health Committee; and a pioneer of ‘The Sons of Rest’, for the welfare of aged men in Haden Hill Park, Staffordshire. He had a profound conviction of the importance of Christian citizenship. In pastoral work his friendliness of spirit rendered him easy of access, especially to those who were in distress. Always active, he preached his last sermon but five weeks before his death, and the end of his earthly pilgrimage came on 19 December 1959, in the seventy-fifth year of his age and the forty-eighth of his ministry.

Family

Walter was born on 6 October 1885 at Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, to parents Walter, a mill furnace man & inn keeper, and Harriet.

Before entering the ministry Walter worked as fitter (1901).

He married Alice Anne Round (1888-1956) in the summer of 1915 in the Dudley Registration District, Staffordshire. Birth Records identify four children.

• Neville Walter David (1918-1999) – emigrated to Australia
• Sheila A.E. (b1922) – married Harold Woodhouse in 1946
• Derek Esmonde (1924-2000)
• Brian Reginald (1926-1984)

Walter died on 19 December 1959 at Codsall, Staffordshire.

Circuits

• Hartley
• 1911 Cardiff II
• 1913 Ryde & Ventnor
• 1914 Dalton & Millom
• 1916 Chorley
• 1920 Foxhill Bank
• 1925 Lymm
• 1927 Plymouth
• 1932 Cradley Heath
• 1947 Wolverhampton Trinity
• 1951 Wolverhampton (S)

References

Methodist Minutes 1960/168

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers