Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-26
ALFRED GOODMAN.

Frederick Douglass, in the little volume Of au- |
photography which describes the periods of his |
Bondage" and Freedom" refers to the minis |
ters of the gospel who visited the house Of his |
''master," down on the Eastern Shore. First
among them all, as the friend OF the slave, and
the truly Christian minister, he speaks of "Mr.
Cookman." He was devoted to the work of urg-
ing slave owners to emancpate their bondmen,
and great was the sorrow of all the slaves,
says Frederick. when this faithful preacher left
the Talbot circuit.
This was the Reverend George Grimston
Goodman, born in England, at Hngston-upon-
Hull. on October 81, 1900, the father of the Rev
erend Alfred OookmRn. Born Of devout and
earnest Methodist psrentage, George entered the
ministry of that church, and in 1925 came to
America. aud Joined the labors Of the brethren,
on this side. His earnest purpose had been to
become q missionary to Africa, or, il not that,
then to be engaged in mission work among the
slaves in this country, but his eloquence and
power as preacher fixed the attention, quickly,
of the Bishops of the Church, and devoted him
to labors among the people of the Middle States.
While assigned to duty on the Lancaster Circuit
Qncuding Lancaster, Reading and Columbia,)
January of that year, his eldest son. Alfred,
was born.
From the first, Alfred's mother meant him to
be minister. She had had lofty and earnest
purposes of laboring in common with her bus
band, as an apostle and missionary and when
the duties of motherhood came to set them
aside she resolved at least to build for Zion in
training the character and qualities of her son.
From his mothers knee, Alfred went to the
tutelsge OF Quaker lady in Philadelphia,
Miss Ann Thomas, under whose charge he re-
NAMED from his fifth to his seventh year. In a
note to their mother, she describes him aud his
brother as ''obedent and attentive, very inno-
cent and striet to truth" Transferred from one
charge to another, now at Newark, and then to
Baltimore. Mr.. Cookman, the father, was placed
in 1896, at Carlisle. There, Dickinson College,
established by the Presbytsrians. had been
purchased by the Metbodists as an in
stitution for training their ministers, and
there, the lights of the denomination had just
assembled. Rev. ]. p Durbin was at the head
of the faculty Caldwell aud Allen, fresh from
BoWdoin; Emory from Columbia College Nc
Clintock, from Pennsylvania University Were
already at work. Here Alfred entered upon &
real course ofeducation. In the compani onship
Of such men he could not help gaining much
He was now nine years of age !; his mind was OK
panding, and his powers developing, and here, il
1928 he experienced, during religious reviva
in his fathers church his -" change Of heart. 81
that in the Autumn of 1888 when the family hao
removed TO Washington, where Mr.. Cookma
had charge of Wesley Chapel, and was 500
elected Chaplain Of Congress, Alfred WAS &C
Ditted to membership in the church.
From this forward he became practically
minister. Though vet SO young he began
exercise himself on the platform, as a epeake
and the religious turn of his thoughts gave IL
character Of preaching to most OF his utterance
In 1884, his father, going over to England
visit his surviving parent, was lost at sea, in IL
ill-fated President, which sailing from New Yo
on the 1lth of March, was never again seen
men, and Alfred now thirteen, became the sta
and prop of tie family. The family removed
Baltimore, and rented humble home, for the
means were limited, resisting all invitations
return permanently to England, and at Bal
more, about 184j, he began active and practic
lAbors as Sabbath school worker, with bal
Of young men who had formed mission I
seamen, and others, at Charles street churC
In that year, upon the death OF one of the bau
he preached funeral discourse-his first ii
mon-and, says his biography, his call to t
ministry was undoubted by those who heard h
on that occasion.
The lack of space forbds our proceeding wi
even this hasty sketch from the materials ga
cred into the Biography of Mr.. Goodman, n
bsfore U.S. Early in the Autumn of 1916
mother and her family removed to Philadelpl
and as soon they were settled, he was appol
ed to aid Rev. James Hand, in the work Of
ministry on Attleboro' Circuit, Bucks couu
Mounting his horse, he rode away as a Meil
dist preacher, to labor in that field until
death, Just twenty-five years after.
OF Mr.. Cookmans residence and labors in v
mington whittier he came pastor OF Cir
Church, in the Spring Of 1868, remaining h
three years, there is much Of interest in the '
ums under notice, not only to the numerous b,
of Methodists in our community, but to m
others who knew and appreciated Mr.. Cookm
large number of letters to persons we'll -kuC
amongst US, and others from Mr. O. describ
his labors, while i'll the charge at Grace n
be read with great satisfaction by many. II
impossible in a newspaper article, to do so N
~ even to summarize them.
Tl4 life Of Rev. Alfr.d Coosmnn..
some account OF his father Rev. George C.r mi
Goodman. BY Rev. Henry b. X dgawsy, d
with an Introduction by Bishop Foster OF the
r. Chlrth. new lOlk Harper Brothers.
ceived through the Re igOus nooK Store o.
ket ST., Wilmington, Del.
The ErankiOrd X abroad.
AT the last session of the Legislature, an