Spivey, John (1865-1949)

Obituary from Minutes of the Methodist Conference

Born at Liversedge, Yorkshire, in 1865. After training at Culham College, Oxford, his outstanding ability as a preacher was recognized and he was invited to offer for the work of the Ministry of the U.M.F.C. He served a ‘ Provisional Year ’ in 1891, and travelled for forty years, chiefly in the north and North Midlands.

His ministry began and ended in Nottingham. His chief interest in life was preaching. A good preacher himself, he was always ready with help, advice, and encouragement for younger preachers. He helped many into the Ministry, and in several circuits held classes for local preachers, who would gladly give up their Saturday afternoons to discuss with him the poetry of Wordsworth or the theology of Browning.

He was a student and a teacher until his last illness. From his early days he was keenly interested in Biblical criticism, particularly of the Hexateuch.

Several times he served as District Examiner of candidates for the Ministry.

His business ability was recognized in his election to the Chair of the Rochdale District.

He was always a faithful pastor, the friend to whom his people readily turned in trouble or perplexity.

After superannuating in 1931 he took charge, under the Home Missionary Committee, of the Milton Hill Church, in Weston- super-Mare, where he did fine work as an active Supernumerary. Afterwards he remained in Weston for some years and continued to serve the neighbouring circuits. Never happier than when engaged in keen debate, he took special delight in the fellowship of his brother ministers.

A few more years were passed in Ambleside and Ossett, and he finally returned to Nottingham in 1946.

He continued to preach until 1948, when his powers began to fail, and he passed away, after months of trial and weariness, on 3rd November 1949, at the age of eighty-four and in the fifty- eighth year of his ministry.

©Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes 1950

Family

John was born in Liversedge, Yorkshire in 1876, to Joshua Spivey, a spinner (1871) then a petroleum or paraffin salesman (1881 onward), and his wife Elizabeth.

John trained as a teacher and was a schoolteacher until he entered the ministry (1891)

He married Elizabeth Nichol (nee James 1869-1950) during the 2nd quarter of 1903 in Rochdale Registration District. They had a daughter

• Dorothy Elizabeth (1905-

John died on 3rd November 1949 in Nottingham.

Circuits

• 1891  Nottingham I
• 1893 Driffield
• 1895 Burnley
• 1896 Riddings (received into Full Connexion)
• 1898 Ilkeston
• 1899 London X
• 1902 Rochdale Baillie Street
• 1906 Newcastle Prudhoe Street/ Sandyford
• 1910  Bury
• 1915  West Hartlepool
• 1917  Rochdale Molesworth Street
• 1922 Ilkeston
• 1924 Nottingham Central
• 1931   Worle (supernumerary)
• 1932  Weston super Mare (supernumerary)
• 1943  Ambleside (supernumerary)
• 1945  Ossett (supernumerary)
• 1946 Nottingham North (supernumerary)

He was Chairman of the Rochdale District in 1919

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 1950 p 130