THE REV. C. E. WARD

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 11

THE REV. C. E. WARD

• The death, occurred in Christehurch on Saturday'of the Rev. Charles E. Ward, who had for many years served the Primitive Methodist Church in Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Ward, who was born at New- Plymouth in 1846, was the third son of the Rev. Robert Ward, a pioneer missionary of the Primitive Methodist Church, who arrived in New Zealand in 1844. He was educated at the Wesley College, Auckland, under the' Rev. Joseph Fletcher, and later returned to New Plymouth,: where he remained until 1868. With his brothers John and Frederick, Mr. Ward was for some years engaged in the Maori War, and fought with the Taranaki Bush Rangers under Major (afterwards Sir) Harry Atkinson; During the campaign he so won. the admiration of Major Atkinson that he was offered, a commission as an officer.

Mr. Ward entered the Primitive Methodist Ministry in 1870, serving the church in New South Wales until 1876, when he returned to New Zealand, and was subsequently in charge of churches in Timaru, Invercargill, Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington, and Christehurch. During that period, he was twice president of the Primitive Methodist Conference. After his, retirement in 1910, Mr. Ward settled in St. Albans, and continued actively to engage in the work of. the Church until 1930. He was able to attend the church services regularly until within a fortnight of his death. His wife died six years ago. He is survived by four sons, Messrs. F. E. Ward (Wellington), W. I. Ward and G. W. Ward (Christehurch), and I. S. Ward (England), and-three daughters, Misses A. M. and P. Ward and Mrs. H. K. Allison (Ghristchurch). Two sons, Messrs. R. B. Ward' (Christehurch) and C. X, Ward (Wellington) predeceased him.