Hi All Obituary of Richard RIDGILL Richard RIDGILL, who was born in England, came to this Colony in 1842 with a view to entering upon a commercial career. Soon after his arrival in Cape Town he became the subject of deep religious impressions, which in a short time led to his sound conversation, and to his resolving to devote his life and talents to the service of God and His Church. Without any delay he began to call sinners to repentance, and earnestly devoted himself to the study of theology, making such progress and giving such promise of future usefulness that he was encouraged to offer himself for the work of the Ministry, and was, at the recommendation of the Cape District Synod, received as a Probationer by the Conference of 1843, and appointed to the Cape Town Circuit, where he laboured until 1848 with much acceptance - his ministry being characterised by zeal, fervour and ability. >From the first Mr. RIDGILL showed great interest in the Mission work among the Dutch-speaking people, and diligently studied their language, soon becoming a fluent, correct and elegant speaker of it. With the exception of one year subsequent to 1848, his long ministry was devoted to the Dutch work, Somerset West, Nisbet Bath, Stellenbosch, Wynberg, Cape Town (Dutch), Mowbray and Diep River being for lengthened periods under his superintendency. At Somerset West, Stellenbosch and in Cape Town he raised commodious Churches, and in all the Circuits to which he was appointed cared for and improved the properties under his charge. He was for many years in succession the Secretary of the Cape Hope District, and after the death of Rev. Samuel HARDEY succeeded to the office of Chairman and General Superintendant, which he held until 1893, when the Rev. J THOMPSON, M.A., as President of the Conference became ex-officio the Chairman. In 1885 he was elected to be the President of the South African Conference, discharging the duties of that high office with the dignity, urbanity and efficiency which were natural to him. Throughout his career he rendered many valuable services to the Wesleyan Methodist Church in South Africa, especially to the Missionary Department of it. Among others should be particularly mentioned the compilation of the Dutch Hymn Book, which has been in use for nearly fifty years. Many of the hymns it contains were translated by him from Wesley's hymns, and are rendered in a style marked by petic taste and genius, and sympathy with the spiritual fervour of the originals of this book; he lived to edit seven editions. Mr. RIDGILL possessed a manly physique, and in his younger days was a noble specimen of manly vigour and strength. He had received a liberal education, and was well versed in English literature. He had great capacity for business, but his modest and retiring disposition led him to shrink from positions which he was well qualified to fill, and in which his influence and powers might have been more extensively exercised than they were in the comparatively retired spheres which he found most congenial. His gifts as a preacher and public speaker were of a high order. His preaching was characterised by striking simplicity of language and purity of style, and by the prominence it gave to evangelical truth. He often remarked that he never cared to preach or hear a sermon by which a sinner could not learn of the love of the Saviour and how to find him. For some years before his retirement he worked in growing weakness, and it cost him much sorrow to have to cease from his labours. The last few years of his life were spent in almost complete seclusion, amid much suffering from debility and distressing ailments, and the grief of a sore bereavement, which he bore with uncomplaining patience and resignation. After a few days of semi-consciousness but acute suffering his release came, and he passed away to meet his Lord on 14th December,1898, in the seventy eighth year of his age and fifty-fifth of his ministry. From: Minutes of Conference of Wesleyan Methodist Church 1899 Transcribed by Darryl Allwright P O Box 166 Grahamstown 6140 Cell: 076-091-2764