Cook, James Boddy (1877-1962)

Obituary from the Minutes of the Methodist Conference

Born at Houghton-le-Spring in 1877. He was educated at the Wesleyan Day School and entered the Ministry of the United Methodist Free Churches in 1901.

He travelled in London, Brigg, Bristol, Hayle, St. Austell, Blyth, Jarrow, Boston, North Shields, Gateshead, and Bolton, where he spent the last nine years of his active ministry.

Retiring in 1947, he returned to St. Austell which was the birthplace of his wife. His sermons were attractive and helpful, and revealed sound scholarship.

As a pastor he was faithful and well loved. As an administrator he was unfailingly wise. He had an attractive personality, being genial, loyal, meek, gentle and full of courage. He had a breadth of outlook on theological and social matters, and was deeply interested in people.

In his retirement he served the St. Austell Circuit by taking preaching appointments and in many other ways.

The last years of his life were marked by illness which he bore with patience and grace.

He died suddenly, in hospital, on 26 June 1962 in the eighty-sixth year of his age and the sixty-first of his ministry.

©Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes 1962

Family

James Boddy Cook was born on 29th March 1877 in Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham, the son of Richard and Mary Cook. His father was a gardener. Before entering the ministry James was apprenticed to a grocer.

He married Emma Powell (1883-1955 ) in 1913 in St. Austell, Cornwall. They had a son, John Reginald.

James died on 26 June 1962 in St. Austell.

Circuits

• 1900 London VII
• 1901 Brigg
• 1903 Bristol East
• 1905 Hayle
• 1907 St. Austell (received into Full Connexion)
• 1913 Blyth Bowes Street
• 1918 South Shields
• 1923 Boston West Street
• 1928 North Shields
• 1933 Gateshead Durham Street
• 1935 Gateshead East
• 1938 Bolton
• 1947 St. Austell (supernumerary)

References

Oliver A Beckerlegge, United Methodist ministers and their circuits: Being an arrangement in alphabetical order of the stations of ministers of the Methodist New … and the United Methodist Church, 1797-1932

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

Minutes of the Methodist Conference 1962, page 219