Rev. Henry Hare Dugmore

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Henry Hare DUGMORE, who was born in Birmingham, on the 27th of April, 1810.

Whilst a child he came to South Africa with his parents, who formed part of the company of British settlers of 1820, under the pastral care of the Rev. William SHAW. He was converted to God on New Year's Day, 1831, and entered the ministry three years afterwards. His first appointment was to the Mount Coke Mission Station; but, owing to the Kafir war of 1835, he was soon compelled to leave. It was during his stay at Mount Coke that he mastered the Kafir language, being able to preach in it within six months after his arrival. The almost perfect command which he obtained of the language made his sermons a means of profit and delight to his hearers, whilst it enabled him to render undying service to our mission work in this country, by the translation of the Psalms and Gospels, besides a great part of the Prayer Book. His poetic gifts were called into exercise in the production of over one hundred Kafir Hyms, which form more than one third of our Hymn Book.

He laboured in some of the principal Circuits of the Graham's Town and Queen's Town Districts, his active ministry extending over a period of forty-two years, including two visits to England. In all his circuits he was honoured and revered; and his preaching, which was of a very high order, was made a means of profit and blessing to hundreds. At the same time, he took a keen interest in everything that related to the moral and social welfare of the people generally, giving freely of his time, service and money for the promotion of every good cause, as well as for the advancement of the interests of our Church.

For the time of his conversion he became a great reader, and continued to delight in books to the close of his long life. He began the study of German after he was seventy years of age. His reading was wide, embracing many of the best works in Theology, Philosophy, Metaphysics and History; and his memory, being remarkably attentive, enabled him to retain much of what he read. He was also a great lover of music, for which he displayed quite a genius, and his acquaintance with the works of the great composers was remarkable.

As a preacher, he was wonderfully clear in his expositions of Divine truth, setting forth the great doctrines of Scripture in all their fullness and saving power, whilst the spiritual influence that often accompanied his ministry can never be forgotten by those who attended the services. Nor were his prayers less noteworthy, as numbers who have been melted and uplifted by them have testified. In 1876, he became a Supernumerary, and took up his residence in Queen's Town, which henceforth became his home until his death, which took place on the 14th of June, 1897, in his eighty-eighth year. Up to within a year or two of the end, he contained to preach and visit the people, especially the sick and troubled. And even after he became blind he conducted public services, repeating from memory the hymns and Scripture lessons. For many years he suffered much from an internal disorder, but during the last month of his life, though very feeble, he was almost free from pain. All fear of death was removed, and at times his soul was filled with anticipation of the glory awaiting him, and of the near prospect of being with Christ. He was at all times penetrated with a profound sense of God's holiness, and of the imperfections of his own life.

His only plan was the finished work of the Redeemer. After lingering for some time in extreme weakness, he gradually sank into unconsciousness until mortality was swallowed up of life. From; Minutes of the Sixteenth Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of SA, 1898

Transcribed by Darryl Allwright P O Box 166 Grahamstown 6140 Cell: 076-091-2764

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Marriage : "South Africa, Methodist Parish Registers, 1822-1996," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6251-SB?cc=1463648&wc=... : 10 March 2020), South Africa > Cape of Good Hope > Grahamstown > Baptisms, marriages, deaths 1826-1903 > image 296 of 306; Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Grahamstown.

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"South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths, 1895-1972," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-159394-299600-76?cc=1779109 : 24 June 2016), 1897 > Queenstown > image 173 of 498; National Archives, Pretoria.

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Death Notice: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ8-4SRD-4?i=863&...