Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-12-29
DEATH OF REV. DIR. EDWARDS.
END OF THE LIFE OF THE OLDEST
MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE.

Rev. William B. Edwards, D. D.,
the oldest member of the Baltimore
Conference of the M. E. Church, died
Friday, IA, at the residence of his son,
Mr.. Frank A. Edwards, on Winde-
mere avenue, Waverly, in the eigh-
tieth year of his age. The day after
the election he went to Portsmouth,
Va, on visit to his brother, Rev. E..
M. Edwards, of the NJ. E. Church,
South, where he remained about ten
days. While there evidences ola car
bunele were discovered. On his re-
turn, while at his sons, it developed
and became steadily worse, and final
ly terminated his life. DIR. Reisch, of
Waverly, and Prof. McLane Tiffany,
of Baltimore, operated on him, but
owing to his weak condition he had
not sufficient strength to rally. DR..
Edwards was born at Walnut Hill,
King George county, Va, August q,
1909. His father, John Arnold Ed
wards, was a we'll planter of
that county, and soldier in the war
of 1912, and his grandfather, James
Edwards, also of Virginia, was large
land-holder in that section and an Of
ficer in the Revolutionary war. DR..
Edwards, at an early age, showed
studious habits, which continued
through life. He received the degrees
of Master of Arts in 1S43,
and d. ID. ia 1856, from Dickinson
College, at Carlisle. Pennsylvania.
He was elected professor of English
literature and philosophy in the same
institution in 1868, but prefering the
active work of the ministry he did
not accept. He entered the Balti-
more Conference of the NJ. E. Church
in 1880. His charges were: Wood
stock, Va, 1880; Berkeley, Va, 1881;
Rockingham, Va, 1882; Lexington,
1888 Clearspring, Md, 1S34-5; Hag-
erstown, 1867; City Station, 1889,
1861; Georgetown, D. c., 1901,
1859, 1886; Wesley Chapel, Wash
yington, 1923, 1851; Winchester,
l844-5; Charles Street, Baltimore.
1867, 1915; High Street, 1S4S-9;
Alexandria; Va, 1923; Foundry,
Washington, 1861; Fayette Street,
Baltimore, 1923. 1878; Annapolis,
1869 II, 1928; Huntington Avenue,
Baltimore, 1924; East Baltimore,
1875; Frostburg, 1858; Eutaw St.,
lS79-Sl. His last charge was Govans-
town, Md, 1886. On March 4, 1887,
the conference, at his own request,
changed his relation from effective to
supernumerary. He then went to
live at Summerville Cottage, Shrews-
bury, Pa, which was his home up to
the time of his last visit to his son.
He was married in 1888 to Miss Alex
ander Sommerville. of Martinsburg,
daughter of Captain VIM. Sommer-
Vile, who was chief officer in the
command of the Chevalier de Cam
bray, of the Continental army. Nine
children were the frHit of this marri-
age, six of whom are living, viz:
Rev. DIR. William S. Edwards; of the
Baltimore Conference; Mrs. VIM. FL.
Green, Shrewsbury, Pa, r. l.. Ed
wards, Baltimore; Mrs. r. Vinton
Clayton, Annapolis; Frank A. Ed
wards, Baltimore and Miss Marie
Louise Edwards, of Shrewsbury. His
wife died at Govanstown, April 26,
1886.
In 1878 DIR. Edwards was dele
gate to the General Conference which
met at Chicago.
DR.. Edwards was a close student all
his life, and well versed in both an
cient and modern languages and gem
eral literature. He was scholarly and
profound in his preaching. His de-
livery was graceful, and he was felic
-itous in his choice of language. Just
before the war, while DR.. Edwards
was at the Foundry Church, in Wash
ington, President Buchanan often at
tended his church. and personally ex-
pressed to him the benefits he had re-
ceived from his preaching. In APP
pearauce he was medium height and
of commanding figure.
A leading member of the Baltimore
Bar once said, that though DR.. Ed
wards was retiring in his manner in
private, he was like lion in the pull
pit. He was well known throughout
the country. Nearly all the minis
tiers who belonged to the conference
in the earlier years of his work are
dead. His funeral was from Mount
Vernon NJ. E. Church, Tuesday.
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