Wooldridge, Richard (1815-1841)

MInistry

A transcription of the obituary published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by William Harvey is attached. Harvey quotes a letter from Rev. C.T. Harris, Richard’s superintendent at Poole, as follows.

“My dear Bro. Wooldridge’s natural disposition was good. He was gentle, affable, and firm. As a colleague, he was kind and agreeable, and one on whom I could depend. As a friend and a minister, he was faithful in the discharge of his duties. His preaching talents were good; and during the year and nine months he was able to labour at Poole, his improvement was great; and had God been pleased to spare his life, he would, doubtless, have been a great blessing to those circuits where he might have been stationed. As a christian, he was humble and fervent in prayer, and possessed a tender conscience; his experience was sound in divine things; he rested on his Lord with confidence, knew in whom he believed, and as he advanced in knowledge he increased in humility and love; he walked as a man of God. As he grew unwell, satan tempted him much; but he always spoke of his confidence in his Lord and Master. On one occasion he said to me, ‘Sir, I am to be cut down in my youth; but the Lord cannot err; I know he will bring me to heaven.’

‘The memory of the just is blessed.’ This I have to say, the church has lost a promising minister, and I have lost a brother.“

Family

Richard was born on 21 January 1815 at Sparsholt, Berkshire, to parents Richard and Rachel. He was baptised on 21 May 1815 at Sparsholt.

Richard died on 9 January 1841 at Sparsholt, Berkshire.

Circuits

• 1838 Poole
• 1840 Redruth – stationed but unable to take up the appointment due to illness

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1842/45

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers