Higgins, Charles (1855-1939)

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1911
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1921
Primitive Methodist Magazine 1911

Early years

Charles was born on 15 May 1855 at Gravesend, Kent, to parents Edward and Elizabeth. Edward was a bricklayer.

Charles attended the Darnley Street Sunday School, Gravesend, until he left for London as a youth. On his first Sunday in the City, he worshipped at a Free Methodist Chapel, and at the evening service surrendered himself to the Lord.

Charles worked as a hired local preacher at Boston, Lincolnshire from January 1875.

Ministry

The first seven years of his ministry were spent on missions.

His obituary records that Charles made careful preparation for his pulpit ministry and was a faithful preacher of the Word. He was a diligent pastor and carried the radiance and good cheer of Christ wherever he went and the consolation of God’s grace into the homes of affliction and sorrow.

During his ministry Charles wrote many stories and serials for Connexional magazines.

On two occasions Charles served as District Temperance Secretary. He was also District Missionary Secretary and served on the Candidates’ Examining Committee.

Family

Charles married Clara Elizabeth Holdsworth Beaumont (1856-1926) in the summer of 1880 at St Neots, Huntingdonshire. Census returns identify five of six children.

  • Ernest Charles (1882-1957) – an insurance superintendent (1911)
  • Clara Rose Beaumont (1885-1970) – married James Leonard Birtwhistle, a district inspector (insurance company) (1911)
  • Lily Edith (1887-1894)
  • Frank Rupert (1892-1940) – studying to be a schoolteacher (1911)
  • Reginald Claude (1900-1952)

Charles died on 21 June 1939 at Sheffield, Yorkshire.

Circuits

  • 1876 Deal
  • 1877 St Neots
  • 1879 Buckingham
  • 1880 Ryde & Ventnor
  • 1881 Marlborough
  • 1882 Kingston
  • 1883 North Bow
  • 1885 High Wycombe
  • 1888 Peterborough I
  • 1891 Manea
  • 1894 Kelsale
  • 1895 Wymondham
  • 1897 Cambridge I
  • 1899 Morecambe
  • 1902 Skipton
  • 1906 Colchester
  • 1910 Bristol IV
  • 1913 Sheffield IV
  • 1920 Sheffield V
  • 1922 Sheffield (S)

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1911/885; 1921/464

PM Minutes 1939/220

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

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