From Harry Robson at `Overdale', Park Lane, Loughborough, Leicestershire, to Frederick Leach Buxton.
He is very disappointed that he will be unable to participate in the re- union tomorrow. He was taken ill on Saturday and has been in bed ever since.
Robson would like to pay his own tribute to the Bible Christians on behalf of North countrymen who entered its ministry. In 1902 there were three ministerial candidates from the North of England, namely Robson himself, Edward Rowan and John [Arthur] Smith. They were preceded at Shebbear College by Richard James (now in retirement in Millom) in 1900, and by a few others such as [Joseph Alfred] Dobson, [Isaac] Leaver and ?? Chapman.
Robson was astonished when he was sent to the Hatherleigh Circuit before a term at Shebbear to witness the simple piety of the Devon people. He had never met with anything like it in the North of England and it was plain that he had not been aware of the true nature of the Bible Christian Connexion before coming to the South-west. He is immensely indebted in the spiritual sense to the Bible Christians and particularly to his ministerial colleagues.
He shall be with them in spirit and look forward to reading a good account of the meeting in the M R.
Notes .
- Harry Robson (1880-1951) was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He trained for the Bible Christian ministry at Shebbear College and commenced circuit work in 1904. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 13 Sept. 1956, p.18
- John Arthur Smith trained for the Bible Christian ministry at Shebbear College and commenced circuit work in 1903. He withdrew from the Connexion in 1911. Source: Beckerlegge
- Richard James (1879-1954) was born at Millom in Cumbria. He trained for the Bible Christian ministry at Shebbear College and commenced circuit work in 1902. He exercised an active ministry of forty years. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 14 Jan. 1954, p.4
- Joseph Alfred Dobson (1868-1943) was born in the North of England and entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1888 after training at Shebbear College. He served for forty-two years before retirement in 1930. Dobson returned to the active ministry in 1931 and served a further seven years. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 7 Oct. 1943, p.5
- Isaac Leaver (1874-1942) was born in the North of England and entered the Bible Christian ministry in 1893 after training at Shebbear College. He exercised an active ministry of forty years. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 3 Sept.1942, p.4