From Stephen John Gee at 99 Lexham Gardens, London, to Lewis Court.
The sentiments which Court expressed on page 143 of Dartmoor Saints about Bible Christian feelings at the time of union in 1907 were identical with what was felt by the United Methodist Free Church, for although they were the largest church involved in the union negotiations, they were still a happy family where everyone was known to everyone else, especially in Lancashire, London and Yorkshire. They had very early on put down roots in Cornwall - T. Pope Rosevear was a `lay giant' in the Camelford and Wadebridge Circuit.
Very early in the history of the Wesleyan reform movement, Robert Eckett and Dr [Samuel] Warren had toured the west country and had encountered support for reform.
Does Court know Revd. Reginald Frost of Okehampton Congregational? He is one of the sons of Henry Frost, former Superintendent of Harbour Light Methodist Church in Goldsmiths Row, London, and Rosa Frost the first Deaconess of Harbour Light. Their other two sons are in the Methodist ministry.
Gee owes a great deal to Bible Christians who he met after union in 1907. [Edward John] Welsher had Gee preaching in his Sevenoaks Circuit in Kent [1907], while [Philip Henry] Bryant had Gee in his Luton Road Chapel in Chatham for a weekend [1912]. Gee was Junior District Missionary Secretary at the time and he certainly received a great many speaking appointments around London.
After union, Jubilee Chapel in East Road came into the London 1st District and Gee met and worked there with [Richard Thomas] Buttle [1899-1908] and later John page [1908-9].
Earlsmead, which is now Tottenham Central Hall was only an old school chapel until Cooper Graystone Hawken supervised the erection of a chapel at a cost of £5,000 [1905-09] `with as big a debt all in faith - how like you BC's'. Gee's father [Stephen] and Mr Mallinson came to the rescue with a grant from their London Chapel Extension Fund. [William Samuel] Welsh later took charge there [1912-18].
Hawken worked Gee junior as hard as he could in furtherance of missionary work. He nominated Gee for the Conference and the Conference Overseas Committee and Gee was successfully elected - he feels sure that the Conference thought that it was in fact voting for Gee's father who was very well known. Hawken insisted on Gee serving and it was certainly a unique experience for a young man of twenty-three.
Several members of Gee's family are active now in the Walthamstow Circuit.
His sister is the wife of the retired minister Joe Boden, who served most of his ministry at Ilford Lane Free Methodist Church.
Gee himself served in the Young Men's Christian Association during World War 1 and later secured a `political agency' at Cromer in Norfolk with Lord Noel-Buxton.
Notes .
- Robert Eckett (1797-1862) was born at Scarborough in Yorkshire. His family soon moved to London where Eckett became a successful builder. Eckett was a leading figure in the reformist party in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, playing an active role in the Leeds Organ dispute and in the agitation over the establishment of the Theological Institution in 1834. He was finally expelled from the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion and entered the ministry of the Wesleyan Methodist Association in 1838. He planned its Foundation Deed in 1840, emphasising democracy in the government of the Connexion. He also played a leading role in the establishment of the United Methodist Free Church in 1857 and served three times as President. Source: Encyclopedia of World Methodism (1974)
- Dr Samuel Warren (1781-1862) was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk. He entered the Wesleyan Methodist ministry in 1802 and played a leading role in reformist agitation. He was expelled from the Wesleyan Church in 1835 and served as President of the Wesleyan Reform Association in 1836. He resigned in 1838 and later joined the Church of England. Source: Beckerlegge
- Edward John Welsher (1875-1952) was born in Roadwater, Somerset but moved to Cardiff at an early age. He trained at Shebbear College and entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1902. Welsher served as a chaplain during World War I and was awarded the Military Cross. The strains of his wartime service caused a break-down in health and early retirement from the ministry in 1929. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 25 Sept. 1952, p.5
- Philip Henry Bryant (1871-1946) was born near Taunton and entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1895. He exercised his ministry of forty-five years in home circuits. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 24 Oct. 1946, p.6
- Richard Thomas Buttle (1862-1924) was born at Harrowbarrow, near Callington, Devon. He served as a Connexional Lay Evangelist in the United Methodist Free Church from 1890 to 1899 and as a Connexional Evangelist until 1921. Source: Beckerlegge
- John Page (1865-1921) was born in Kingsdown near Swindon, Wiltshire. He was raised in the Church of England and was converted by Primitive Methodist preaching. Page entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1890 and served for nearly thirty years in home circuits. Source: Beckerlegge
- Cooper Graystone Hawken (1866-1938) entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1886 and exercised his ministry of forty-eight years in home circuits. For many years he was the editor of the Connexional Young People's Magazine and also served on the Tottenham Education Committee, the Free Church Council and as Vice President of the Welsh National Union of Christian Endeavour. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 7 Jul.1938, p.33
- William Samuel Welsh entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1894. He served in home circuits and resigned from the ministry in 1918. Source: Beckerlegge
- Joe Boden (1880-1966) was trained at Victoria Park College and entered the ministry of the United Methodist Free Church in 1904. He exercised an active ministry of over thirty years, most of which was spent in London. Source: Beckerlegge