Goldthorpe, Enoch (1882-1962)

Transcription of obituary published in the Minutes of Conference

ENOCH GOLDTHORPE: born in Dewsbury in 1882. His father was a minister in the Primitive Methodist Connexion, and set his son a most noble example. After a period in business as a cashier and following his marriage, he felt the call to the ministry. Having supplied for a year as a lay pastor, he was accepted in 1916 and sent direct to circuit work. Aware of his lack of College training, he set himself most diligently to study and sought every opportunity to equip himself for his life’s work: he read wisely and widely. 

Serving first in the S.E. London Mission, he later ministered at Swindon, Amble, Sheffield, Scarborough, Chesterfield, Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Kettering and Newton Abbot. In 1951 he retired to Chesterfield and in 1958 accepted an appointment as active supernumerary at Blairgowrie. Here, he had the happy Indian Summer of his ministry, until ill-health and his wife’s death led to his removal to Leeds in 1961, where the last six months of his life were spent in hospitals. He was a model patient and a favourite with both staff and fellow patients. 

He had a fine, commanding presence, a strong deep voice and was a most forceful preacher. His sermons were simple, direct and evangelical. Kindly by nature, yet of strong principles, he could be both firm and fearless, as he sprang to do battle for what he felt right. He enjoyed administrative and committee work and was always careful of detail. He was sound in judgement and clear in decision and presided over meetings with grace and dignity. He was a hardworking minister and a good pastor and set great value upon the meetings for fellowship and prayer. As a colleague he was considerate, loyal and earnest in all things. He loved Methodism greatly: he delighted to meet brethren. He died on the 21 July 1962, in the eighty-first year of his age and the forty-sixth of his ministry.

Family

Enoch was born on 10 January 1882 at Dewsbury, Yorkshire, to parents Jonathan, a PM minister, and Elizabeth Ogden. He was baptised on 16 January 1882 at Dewsbury by John Maylard.

He married Annie Elizabeth Sutcliffe (1879-1920) in the spring of 1905 in the North Brierley Registration District, Yorkshire. They had one child.

• Constance Elizabeth (1912-1983) – married Ernest Parker in 1938

He married Eleanor McInnes (1886-1961) in the summer of 1921 at Alnwick, Northumberland. They had one child.

• Eileen (b1923) – married Maurice Hicks in 1944

Enoch died on 21 July 1962 at Ida Hospital, Leeds, Yorkshire.

Circuits

• 1916 London Mission SE
• 1917 Swindon I
• 1919 Amble
• 1921 Sheffield IX
• 1924 Scarborough II
• 1927 Sheffield III
• 1931 Chesterfield I
• 1934 Bournemouth
• 1937 Scunthorpe &c
• 1941 Kettering Cen
• 1947 Newton Abbot
• 1951 Clay Cross (S)

References

Methodist Minutes 1963/176

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers