Pritchard, Edward Cook (1833-1918)

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1888
Inside cover of book

Early Life

Edward was born in 1833 in Cheswardine, Shropshire, to parents Thomas Pritchard and Mary. Edward was baptised on 15 December 1833 at Chetwynd, Shropshire. His father, Thomas was a tailor and PM local preacher.

Before joining the ministry, Edward was a cordwainer (shoemaker).

Ministry

Edward’s first appointment was the Plymouth (Devon) circuit. His evangelistic ministry there set the pattern for his future work in Australia. Appointed to labour in Australia, Pritchard arrived in Hobart, Tasmania on the Irene in 1860.

A noted evangelist, under his ministry many people experienced conversion, and church membership grew considerably. Many of these became leading Christian workers. Pritchard spoke at a large number of camp meetings where attendances were as high as 800. He regularly ascribed glory to God for the success of his missions. While at Newcastle, in 1868 he helped a number of local laymen establish the Primitive Methodist Church on the Macleay River. He was in constant demand as preacher at the opening of new churches. In 1886 he was elected president of the Primitive Methodist Assembly of NSW.

On returning to England, Edward became a  magistrate and a “Deed Poll” member of conference.

Literature

Edward authored the following book.

Under the Southern Cross; incidents and adventures of missionary life in Australia

Family

Edward married Harriett Blake (1838-1864) on the Isle of Wight in the spring of 1860.  They had one child.

  • Thomas Hobart (1864-1947) – a schoolmaster

Edward married Mary Ann Sophia Goodsell (1848-1892) on 23 Oct 1864 in Glebe, NSW, Australia. Census returns identify twelve children.

  • Frederick John Bourne (1865-1865)
  • William C (1867-1928) – a surgeon
  • Frederick John Bourne (1869-1925) – a shoemaker
  • Alice Maud (1871-1947) – married Albert G O’Neal
  • Emily Aney (1874-1959)
  • Rosa Ethel (1876-1967) – married Ernest E Fisher, a PM Minister
  • Letitia Lily E (1879-1951) – married William S Tanner
  • Octavius Sydney C (b1881)
  • Ralph J (1884-1960) – a farm worker
  • Percy Stanford  E G (b1886) – a mechanical engineer
  • Florrie Adele Havergal (1888-1907)
  • Herbert Cecil T (1890-1971) – a mechanical engineer

Edward married Catherine Last (1842-1920) at Braintree in early 1906.

Edward died on 11 Jun 1918 at Great Bardfield, nr Braintree, Essex, England.

Circuits

  • 1856 Plymouth
  • 1857 Isle of Wight
  • 1860 Launceston
  • 1861 Hobart (Australia)
  • 1863 Newtown
  • 1865 Newcastle
  • 1870 Sydney l
  • 1875 Return to England
  • 1876 Ramsgate
  • 1877 Luton
  • 1880 Peterborough
  • 1882 Newcastle (Australia)
  • 1885 Newtown
  • 1887 Forest Lodge
  • 1888 Return to England
  • 1889 Luton
  • 1890 Guildford
  • 1896 Braintree

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1888 (portrait)

PM Minutes 1918/350

E G Clancy, Australian Dictionary of Evangelical Biography

Joseph Ritson, The Romance of Primitive Methodism , 1909, p 292

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

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

 

Downloads

A review of “Under the Southern Cross” published in the 1914 PM magazine

Comments about this page

  • EC was also my great grandfather. Rosa Ethel his daughter, my grandmother who married Ernest Fisher also a minister. They had two daughters, Ethel Catherine Imogen (my mother) and Viola.
    Both Ernest and Ethel died in Whittlesey. Vi married Thomas Frank Searle a local market gardener from Whittlesey who in his latter years was much in demand as a lay preacher.

    By Brian Doyle (06/04/2023)
  • Thank you for writing about my great grandfather. My grandmother, Emily was married to another Primitive Methodist Minister, Charles Roger Bower. I shall be happy at a later date to submit more information.

    By Sue Rainger (21/06/2013)

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