Edward Ward Watson

W.Bro Edward Ward Watson

Bro Edward’s death is reported in “The United Methodist”, the weekly journal of the United Methodist Church, of Thursday, January 15, 1920:

The late Mr. E. W. Watson, Newcastle – on-Tyne.

• BY REV. C. T. ENGLAND.

THE sudden death of – Mr. E. W. Watson is a great loss not only to Salem Church and the Central Circuit, but to United Methodism in the Newcastle District. Mr. Watson was seized with a severe illness after attending the Circuit Quarterly Meeting on December 8th, but recovered in the course of a few days, and was able to return to business. It was hoped .that by care and rest he would soon regain his usual health. However, the hope was not to be realized. On Tuesday morning, December 23rd, he left his home at Monkseaton to go to his office at Newcastle: Soon after leaving the station at Monkseaton, he became very ill, and when the train reached South Gosforth, and he was taken out of the carriage, it was found that he had passed away. The news of his sudden death was a great blow to all who knew him, and called forth many expressions of sympathy and regret.

Mr. Watson filled a great place and exercised a powerful influence in Salem Church. It was the church of his father and of his family. It had given him much, that is precious and most valuable. He always acknowledged this with gratitude and thankfulness. And it was a deep joy and unceasing pleasure to him to serve his church in every possible way. He possessed great gifts, which were unstintedly consecrated to her, and to the Great Head. He was keenly interested in the Sunday School, and for a number of years was teacher of the Young Men’s Class, and by his character and teaching, made a deep and lasting impression upon its members.

He held for a long time the office of Secretary of the church, and executed its responsible duties with rare fidelity and zeal. The minister found in him not simply an official, but a warm, wise friend and helper. On the Sabbath, the minister’s vestry was made a place of prayer. Mr. Watson and his co-steward, Mr. F. W. Simon kneeling with the minister, would commend the preacher to God, and ask for the divine blessing upon his message. So tender and so simple, and yet so intensely real were those prayers, that not seldom the little vestry was felt to be the presence chamber of the Great King. He was Circuit Auditor for many years, and was appointed Circuit Secretary twelve months ago. His ability, his courtesy, his clear, sane judgement made him an ideal Secretary, and won the respect and confidence of every member of the Quarterly Meeting. In the Newcastle District Mr. Watson, by his accurate knowledge of Connexional affairs, his power of lucid powerful expression, and his impartial judgement won the high regard of all, our churches, and was marked out as one of the ablest and truest leaders. He was often elected as District representative upon Connexional committees, and at his death was a member of the General Connexional Committee.

The activities of Mr. Watson extended beyond the limits of his own denomination. He served for twenty five years on the committee of the Y.M.C.A., was an active member of the Lord’s Day .Observance Society, a great supporter of temperance work, the local, Honorary Treasurer of the National Children’s Home and Orphanage, and held high office in Free Masonry.

Mr. Watson had a well-cultured mind, a fine love for the Bible and books, and delighted in nothing more than in conversation with ministers or literary friends upon some religious or social problem. He had achieved much in his lifetime, but had he lived would have achieved much more. He had great reserve power. The man was greater than anything he did or said. We laid him to rest under the trees in Jesmond Old Cemetery on the Saturday in Christmas week, and the large number of people of all classes and of various creeds who gathered around the graveside was a striking proof of the esteem in which he was held.

Mr. Watson left behind him Mrs. Watson and a family of one son and five daughters. To them much sympathy goes out, and for them many prayers are offered.

• By REV. ERNEST F. H. CAPEY.

It was a beautiful and impressive sight to watch a long file of men passing an open grave, and throwing, reverently and lovingly, an acacia slip into the depths. It was thus that the members of the Masonic Order of Newcastle paid their last tribute to their comrade, Mr. Edward W. Watson. Our friend let me not say, our “late” friend, for friendship is timeless, and he who has been so suddenly taken away from us lives on in God – had proved himself a comrade true, often, a comrade-in-arms, for he had fought and won, again and again, in his Masonic career, the battle of Temperance. The Lodges he helped to found were all “dry.” It was largely because Drink is a foe to good will that Mr. Watson went out again,  it lance in rest, and armour clad.

Brotherly kindness was the atmosphere he breathed. I visit often a home, in the dining-room of which a log of wood may be seen standing to the left side of the hearthstone. It was cut by Mr. Watson from one of his own, trees, taken as a gift to a friend who was, at the time, lonely and ill. Only a man with a genius for friendship would have thought of such a ministry. And the action was understood, for the log keeps its place, and I surmise will long do so, for its end is not to be burned.

Salem Church will miss our friend, but of this others will speak. The Newcastle District will miss him. We had begun to lean upon him in our Executive and Committees, to respect his judgement, to respond to his leadership, and to rejoice in the clearness and range of his vision. His unwavering loyalty and complete devotion, his high character and the gathered experience of the years, seemed to mark him out for distinctive service, and we were happy in the anticipation of the denominational gains that would be ours through him. But the strength which God gave him must have been spent, for weariness overtook him on the way to toil, and his head found sudden pillow on the breast of God.

He and his family came to Monkseaton and Whitley Bay in the summer of the year. His delight in the new home and in his new surroundings was full. Yes, he was doing too much-perhaps!–but how could he live and do less?-and yet-he must take a little more rest- and would do so-shortly. Some of us wonder if he would ever have taken rest-it had to be given.