Dimond, Charles (1880-1951)

Obituary from Minutes of the Methodist Conference

Born at Birkenhead in 1880, was a son of the Rev. Richard Dimond, and the eldest of three brothers who entered the ministry from the United Methodist Free Churches.

He was accepted in 1907 and trained at Victoria Park College, Manchester. After spending five years in Salford and Manchester, he continued to serve in northern circuits during the earlier half of his ministry.

At Bacup and Nelson he did memorable work, and several young men entered the ministry through his encouragement and guidance.

He regularly formed young people’s classes in preparation for Church membership, and in his last circuit at Hawarden his final service was the Communion Service at which twelve were admitted into Church membership.

Reverence and devotion marked all his conduct of worship, and he gave detailed care to business administration.

He was a musician and desired the very best in the music of Church worship.

A lover of English literature, he was an authority on George Meredith.
In his preaching he revealed the Christian scholar and evangelist, and in his pastoral work great tenderness and understanding.

To all his work he brought a keen sense of vocation, a mind well disciplined and of penetrative power, a fidelity and consecration of spirit which made him independent of the praise of men but a humble seeker of the praise and glory of God.

His later years were clouded by suffering. Deeply spiritual, he faced increasing weakness with great courage and patience and with unfailing thankfulness for the continual mercies of God.

He died on 4th September 1951, at the age of seventy and in the forty-fourth year of his ministry.

©Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes 1952

Family

Charles was born in Birkenhead on 15th November 1880, to Richard Dimond, a United Methodist Free Churches minister, and his wife Emily.

He married Beatrice Saxon (1882-1966) during the 1st quarter of 1916 at Openshaw United Methodist chapel.. They had a son

• Maurice Charles (1919-1997)

Charles  died on 4th September 1951 in Minehead.

Circuits

• 1905 Victoria Park College
• 1907  Redditch
• 1909  Birkenhead and Seacombe
• 1910  Salford (received into Full Connexion 1911)
• 1913  Manchester III Openshaw
• 1915  Nottingham Parliament Street
• 1917  Burnley
• 1920 Bacup
• 1924  Manchester III Openshaw
• 1927  Newquay
• 1928  Southport Churchtown
• 1931   Leeds South
• 1933  Chesterfield
• 1936  Stalybridge
• 1941  Winchester and Eastleigh
• 1945  Hawarden
• 1947  Minehead and Dunster (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 1952 p122