Rev M.W. Mountford

Mountford Wyche Mountford was born in Tenterden, Kent in 1855. His father was Rev Josiah Mountford (d1903) who was noted as one of the first Wesleyan missionaries in West Africa, whilst his mother was Margaret Wyche.  Mountford was educated at Kingswood School from where he won a scholarship to Taunton College after which he went to Durham, gaining a BA with honours in Mathematics.

MW entered the Wesleyan Methodist ministry in 1880. He went to the Gold Coast to become Head of the High School at Cape Coast Castle. Unfortunately, whilst in the Gold Coast, Mountford contracted malaria and he returned to Britain after 3 years.

On his return to Britain, Mountford went into Circuit work. Mountford served as Secretary of Bedford and Cornwall Districts before becoming Chairman of Cornwall District in September 1915. Unfortunately, as his friend, Rev C.E. Scott, noted in his funeral tribute, Mountford was already ill as the malarial fever had developed and he died on 3 December 1915 in Falmouth. On the outbreak of World War 1, Mountford had become a chaplain of the Falmouth garrison, ‘caring for troops in training and wounded soldiers’.

Mountford’s Conference obituary described his preaching as attractive and he ‘taught with insight and careful exposition the deeper things of the Word of God.’

Mountford Wyche Mountford married Edith Mary daughter of Rev Humphrey Hughes in 1903 at Luton. The couple had 2 daughters, Edith and Phyllis.

M.W. Mountford’s Circuits included:

Cape Coast, West Africa

Christchurch

Bournemouth

Dursley

Cheltenham

Stonehouse

Luton

Bedford St Mary

Penzance

Falmouth

Sources:

My Wesleyan Methodist Ancestors – list of Wesleyan Methodist Ministers

Hills Arrangement 1896

The Methodist Who’s Who 1912

Freebmd

Minutes of WM Conference 1916