6. | Rev. Henry Eachus was born on 19 Feb 1826 in Hurdsfield Cheshire, England (on a Sunday) (son of James Eachus and Ann Archer); died on 12 Sep 1915 in Coseley, Staffordshire (on a Sunday); was buried on 18 Sep 1915 in Old Meeting house, Coseley, Staffs. Other Events:
- Baptism: 14 May 1826, Macclesfield Christ Church
Notes:
Census Listings;
1841- Hurdsfield , Macclesfield son, age 15, Silk Weaver. (41-02)
1851- Hurdsfield Terrace, Hurdsfield. Head (m). age 25. Hand Loom Weaver. (51-538)
1871- 36 Old Marble Square, Cosely . Head (m). age 45. Unitarian Minister. (71-3)
1881- 36 Old Meeting Rd, Sedgeley, Staffs. Head (m). age 55. Unitarian Minister. (173)
1891- 41 Old Meeting Rd,Cosley Staffs. Head (m). age 65. Unitarian Minister. (167)
1901- 41 Old Meeting Rd, Sedgeley, Staffs, Head (wid) . age 75. Unitarian Minister (01-04)
1911 Coseley, Nr Bilston, Staffordshire, Head (wid). age 85. Unitarian Minister. (11-52)
Henry was educated at the Brocklehurst School, Macclesfield.
Residence; 1911 Dudley, Staffordshire, age 85.
Residence; 1861 Belfast Street Index; Rev Henry Eachus 65 Bentinck Street, Belfast.
The Leeds Mercury 1st March 1865
The Rev. Henry Eachus has resigned his pastorate of the Unitarian church, Pudsey, having accepted an invitation to Cosely, near Birmingham, where he will commence his labours Sunday next.
Archive;
Memorial Notice (OBIT 1/10)
Family Group Sheet (FG1/3)
Obits and funeral material [ A4/3]
Memorial Notice THE INQUIRER. September 25th 1915.
THE REV. HENRY EACHUS.
We regret to announce the death of the Rev. Henry Eachus, for forty seven years minister of the Old Meeting House, Coseley, which took place on September 12th at the age of 89. Mr Eachus, who was the second son of the late James Eachus, a Leading educationalist in the district in which he lived, was born at Hurdsfield, in the parish of Prestbury, Cheshire, on February 19th 1826. At an early age he was articled to Messrs. J.and T. Brocklehurst, silk manufacturers, of Macclesfield, with whom he remained until the age of 30 years. Ever desirous of acquiring knowledge he devoted his evenings to studying, attending several classes in the Mechanics Institute in Macclesfield. In his earlier life he engaged in Sunday School work amongst the
Wesleyans, but eventually joined himself to the little band of Unitarians worshipping in King Edward Street, Macclesfield. Here he found a congenial religious home and was brought into close contact with the late Rev. John Wright, the minister of the chapel. He engaged in missionery work in the town and occasionally conducted the religious services in the chapel.
Acting on the advice of his minister, he resigned the position he occupied in the silk trade and entered the Unitarian Home Missionary Board, Manchester. At the end of the curriculum of three years, he received an invitation to the post of Missionary to the Poor in Belfast. During his ministry the work of the mission prospered, and a new building, to be used as a Day and Sunday School, and a room for public worship were built in Stanhope Street. In the year 1862 he left Belfast to undertake the charge of the new church and school at Pudsey, near Leeds, where he remained for nearly three years. Receiving a
cordial invitation from the Trustees and Congregation of the Old Meeting House Coseley, he settled there in 1865, and remained the minister to the congregation untill his resignation owing to failing health in 1912. Thus terminated a ministry of forty-seven years, notable in many respects. During this period a new school was built in which Mr Eachus superintended the work of a day school for several years; and, principally as a result of his painstaking efforts, coupled with much personal self-sacrifice, the present beautiful Gothic chapel was erected. He was also actively engaged in philanthropic, educational, civic, and Liberal political movements. He had to do with the formation of the Sedgley School Board, and was a member of it for many years. On the establishment of the Coseley Urban District Council he was returned at the head of the poll and
elected Vice-Chairman, and afterwards Chairman of the council.
In July 1899, on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Sunday School, a medal was issued in commemoration of the event, and also in recognition of the faithful, consistent, and self-sacrificing ministry of Mr Eachus, which, at that time, had extended over thirty-four years. On the completion of forty years in the ministry, he was the recipient of a purse of gold and an illuminated address testifying to the high esteem in which he was held by the members of his congregation and other friends in the district. The interment took place on Saturday last at Coseley Old Meeting House; the Revs A. H. Shelley, of Cradley, and W.G. Topping (resident minister) conducting the service. Among the congregation were representatives of the District Council and Education Committee, the local police, boy scouts, who attended with muffled drums, and other public bodies. After the close of the evening service in the Old Meeting House last Sunday, a resolution of condolence with the relatives of the deceased was carried in silence. At the parish church and several of the Nonconformist chapels in the district tributes were also paid to his memory.
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Minister: Domestic Mission, Belfast 1859-1862;
Pudsey, Yorks 1862-1865;
Coseley, Staffs 1865-1912;
President: Missionery Conference, 1901.
Member: Sedgeley School Board 1879-1882; 1890-1900; 1901-1903.
Chairman: Coseley Urban District Council, 1896-1897
Vice-Chairman: Coseley Urban District Council, 1895-1896; 1898-1904
Member: Coseley Education Committee, 1903-1910.
Quote: From the book MY LIFE AS A FARMERS BOY FACTORY LAD TEACHER &
PREACHER by Adam Rushton
"In due course the summons from the secretary of the U.H.M Board arrived, when Henry Eachus and myself proceeded to Manchester to begin our studies. Very uncomfortable were the lodgings we at first obtained, and my health began to fail. But shortly, Henry decided to bring his family to Lower Broughton, where he took a house, and I became his lodger and remained with him the whole of the term of three years. Ours studies commenced in Dr Beard's house, which was some half mile from where we lived. Here the old and new students-fifteen in all-were united in study."
A Message from Rev Henry Eachus.
After many years labour in the Unitarian cause, and rejoicing time after time in the progress it has made, and now, as I am drawing to the close of a strenuous life, I still rejoice in the pure, the true, the benign Christian principles which are deeply impressed upon my heart and mind. My faith in these pure principles of Unitarianism is therefore deeply rooted in the simple principles of Christianity. Unitarians have still a great work to do in making known to the world the ever-loving Fatherhood of God, ans to help the comong of his Kingdom upon earth by hastening on the time when the Might, With the Right, And the Truth shall be, And come what may, To stand in the way, That day the world shall see! Henry Eachus
CONTEMPORY PRAISE, (auther unknown)
Rev Henry Eachus the "Grand old man of Cosely" who is now over eighty two years of age, has for the last forty-three years upheld the banner of Unitarian Christianity in the forefront at Cosely. He was born at Hurdsfield near Macclesfield on February 19th 1825, His father being James Eachus, a much esteemed educationist in that neighbourhood. In early life Henry Eachus worked in a silk manufactory at Macclesfield. Becoming identified with the Wesleyan body he was an active worker in the Sunday School, When about twenty-two years old he became a Unitarian, and with a number of others of similar theological trend he joined in holding religious services at Macclesfield, where he preached his first sermon. He afterwards attended the servces at King Edward Street and Parsonage Street Chapels. Mr Eachus in 1856 became a student at the College of the home Missionary Board Manchester, His first ministery (1859-62) was at the Belfast Domestic Mission, and during his ministry there the Stanhope Street Mission was built. His labours were very successful. He removed in 1862 to Pudsey near Leeds, where he remained for three years. In 1865 he became minister of the Old Meeting House, Coseley, Staffordshire, His present charge. The congregation and friends have upon several occasions shown their appreciation of Mr Eachus zeal and kind heartedness by making presentations, the one in 1905 being upon the completion of his forty years ministry at Cosely. Mr Eachus has identified himself not only with the denominational life, but with the public life of the district. Among other distinctions he has been chairman of the Cosely District Council and Justice of the peace.
Died:
obituary [misc DM 12 & DM 13]
Henry married Mary Platt on 25 Dec 1847 in Prestbury. Mary (daughter of Samuel Platt and Ann Ford) was born in 1823 in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, England; died on 16 Mar 1895 in See M I; was buried in Mar 1895 in Old Meeting house, Coseley, Staffs. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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