Beardsall, Laurence Graydon (1893-1962)

Transcription of Obituary in Minutes of Methodist Conference

Born at Swaithe near Barnsley in 1893.

His training at Hartley College was cut short by the first World War, during which he served as a Chaplain to the Forces. His circuits were : the South Yorkshire Mission, Redditch, Barnoldswick, Sheffield, Hull. Filey, Huddersfield, Manchester, Burnley and Blackburn. During the second World War he served again as a chaplain.

Throughout his ministry he rendered outstanding service to the Christian Endeavour Movement. in which he himself learnt much and which he valued highly as a training ground for young Christians. He served on the National Executive Council of the C.E. Union from 1936-58 and his service was recognized when in 1953 he was elected President of the British C.E. Union.

He was greatly concerned for the training of local preachers, and when no longer able to preach himself, he served as homiletics tutor in the circuit to which he had retired.

His ministry was vigorous and effective. his pastoral work conscientious and kindly, his preaching forceful and evangelistic, his administration competent.

He always sought to make his Churches effective instruments of the Gospel.

He loved his Lord and was never happier than  when speaking of Him and bringing others to Him.

A breakdown in health in 1958 made retirement inevitable, and he moved to Chandlers Ford in the Eastleigh Circuit.

He made valiant efforts to resume preaching, but his strength was not equal to it, and after several periods in hospital he died peaceably on 4 April 1962, in the sixty eighth year of his age and the forty-fifth year of his ministry.

©Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes 1962

Family

Laurence was born on 18 October 1893 at Swaithe, Yorkshire, to parents Senior Littlewood Beardsall, a colliery deputy (1901) and Hannah Maria.

The 1911 census describes Laurence as a railway clerk.

He married Doris Gibson (1897-1980) in the spring of 1922 at Huddersfield, Yorkshire. Birth records identify one child.

  • Patricia (b1928)

Laurence died on 4 April 1962 at Southampton, Hampshire.

Circuits

  • Hartley
  • 1917 Chaplain H.M. Forces
  • 1920 South Yorks Mission
  • 1921 Redditch
  • 1925 Barnoldswick
  • 1929 Sheffield IV
  • 1932 Hull IV
  • 1933 Hull Gt. Thorn
  • 1937 Filey, Even
  • 1941 Huddersfield Moldgreen
  • 1942 Chaplain H.M. Forces
  • 1945 Huddersfield Hillhouse
  • 1946 Manchester Eccles
  • 1951 Burnely Wesley
  • 1955 Blackburn Trinity
  • 1958 Eastleigh (S)

References

Methodist Minutes1962/212

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

 

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