Reeves, John Jones (1877-1937)
Early years
John was born in 1877 at Weston Lullingfields, Shropshire, to parents Thomas and Ann. Thomas worked the land.
The 1891 census describes John as a telegraph messenger.
Ministry
His obituary records that in three of his circuits John stayed terms of eight years, serving his people unsparingly. The charm of his personality endeared him to all with whom he came in contact.
As a preacher he was eloquent, original in presentation, and as fearless as he was tireless. He spared himself nothing, even when the burden of sickness was upon him; everything he did he did without stint.
From his earliest days he was an ardent lover of peace, carrying his principles not only through the war, but more fervently than ever in the years that followed. In the latter part of his ministry the new Methodism honoured him with the Chairmanship of the newly created Leicester District. To this he gave, as ever, all his rich resources.
Family
John married Mary Phillips (1873-1966) in the summer of 1904 in the Ellesmere Registration District, Shropshire. Census returns identify two children.
- Lilian Ella Mary (1907-1978)
- Muriel Molsie Phillips (1909-1996) – married John N Craine in 1946
John died on 17 September 1937 at Chester, Cheshire.
Circuits
- Hartley
- 1900 Birkenhead I
- 1904 Bradford VII
- 1909 Bradford II
- 1916 Saltburn
- 1920 Northampton II
- 1928 Leicester II
- 1935 Chester George St.
References
PM Minutes 1938/182
Christian Messenger 1922/129
R Newman Wycherley, The Pageantry of Methodist Union, 1932, p340
W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
Comments about this page
This page was modified on 23 March 2016 to add the sketch published in the Christian Messenger 1922.
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