Thompson, Christopher (1901-1994)

Transcription of obituary published in the Minutes of Conference

CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON: born 21st April 1901 in Aldbrough, North Humberside. He spent his childhood years at Patrington, going to school there and then later in Hull. His father, a Primitive Methodist local preacher for 64 years, worked as Holderness missionary and as superintendent for the Hull City Mission, and Christopher often accompanied his father. 

Leaving office work behind, he went to Cliff College for a year at the age of 21, going on to train at Hartley College for the Primitive Methodist ministry. He went as probationer to Dover and Folkestone and then to Banbury where in 1931 he married Marion Cox. There followed appointments at Kingstone, Leintwardine, Ashbourne, Hungerford, North Cave, Madeley and Dawley, Wirksworth, and Minsterley. During the war years his duties at one point included a ministry to Army personnel. 

Never envious of the limelight, he was content in discharging with diligence his stewardship as a minister of the Gospel. On retirement at Minsterley his energy was employed in caring for his invalid wife with the same faithfulness and uncomplaining manner, with occasional respite in his garden. After his wife’s death he moved nearer to his daughter Ruth at Wellington (Shropshire) and was there to offer support when she was widowed. He continued preaching until he was 80 and for a time he was circuit MHA secretary. 

With increasing frailty his last years were spent in a home near Wolverhampton, but from time to time he was able to visit The Rock chapel where he had served whilst in the Madeley and Dawley circuit 1949-54 and where his name is enshrined on a foundation stone to an extension to the chapel. Although afflicted with deafness, he kept his mind alert by reading, and it was while getting a book that he had a fall which precipitated his last illness. Small in stature, he was big in heart. 

He died on 20th June 1994 in the ninety-fourth year of his age and the sixty-seventh year of his ministry.

Family

Christopher was born on 21 April 1901 at Aldbrough, Yorkshire, to parents William Thompson, superintendent of Hull City Mission (1911), and Martha Ann Smith.

He married Marion Frances Cox (1900-1977) in the spring of 1931 at Banbury, Oxfordshire. Census returns identify one child.

• Irene Ruth (1932-2002) – married Arthur Raymond Pessall in 1953

Christopher died in June 1994 in the Wrekin Registration District, Shropshire.

Circuits

• Hartley
• 1927 Dover &c
• 1928 Banbury
• 1931 Kingstone
• 1932 Leintwardine
• 1937 Ashbourne
• 1942 Hungerford
• 1946 North Cave
• 1949 Dawley
• 1951 Madeley
• 1954 Wirksworth
• 1959 Minsterley
• 1966 Ministerley (S)

References

PM Minutes 1995/56

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers