HANDSWORTH

A LOCAL SOCIETY MAGAZINE

CIRCULATING IN HANDSWORTH, PERRY BARR AND BIRCHFIELDS.

Vol. I				FEBRUARY, 1895.				No. 8.

Our Picture Gallery.

No. 8. - THE REV. A SEYS HOWELL

THE barrier on the frontier between North Germany and Bavaria is a pole across the main road.  This is raised for the entrance or exit of  travellers whose credentials are correct.  On one side of the road is a small brick tower, which bears the following inscription : “Pax Intrantibus, Pax Inhabitantibus,” which may be rendered “Peace to the Incomers, Peace to the Indwellers.”  This is our feeling to all the incomers and indwellers of Handsworth and we now give this pleasant Bavarian salutation to the Rev. A. Seys Howell, the recently appointed Pastor of the Soho Hill Congregational Chapel.

Mr Howell was born at Llanelly, South Wales, December 14^th, 1858.  He was educated for the Ministry at Spriong Hill College, Birmingham, and at the Glasgow University.  He was Professor at Spring Hill College, where, among those who studies under him were such well-known scholars as Dr. Simon, Dr. Deane and Mr. John Massie.  Mr. Howell was several times Prizeman and passed the London University Matriculation in the First Division.

His career at Glasgow University was marked by great and well-merited success.  On entering, he won the Dr. Williams’ Scholarship of £40 a year, tenable for three years.  He was also prizeman in English Literature, Natural Philosophy and Intellectual Philosophy.  He passed examinations for the degree of M.A. in the Mathematical and Classical departments, but owing to a breakdown in health through overwork just a week before the termination of the last Session, did not sit for the final degree examination.

Mr. Howell began his Ministry at Carmarthen, South Wales, in 1882.  In February, 1885, he settled at Luton, in Bedfordshire, at the finest Nonconformist Church in the country, seating about 1,100 people.  It is built of Kentish-rag stone, in the Gothic style of architecture.  Here he worked for four years and a half, preaching to large congregations and receiving into the fellowship of the Church nearly 250 persons.  Unfortunately the strain was too great and once more he overtaxed his strength and acting upon medical advice, he resolved to enter upon work elsewhere.  Strenuous efforts were made to retain his services, the Church offering him a six months’ holiday for the purpose of recruiting his health.  But an invitation to Albion Church, Southampton, being sent to him, he accepted the offer.  Before leaving Luton the congregation presented him with a handsome gold watch and chain and Mrs. Howell with a silver tea kettle, as a mark of their respect and esteem and in recognition of his great services amongst them.

At Albion Mr Howell’s pastoral duties were discharged with the same earnestness and active work which he had displayed at other places and they were rewarded with a like success.  In this place, his labours were put to a sufficiently difficult test, which proved his ability and perseverance to the utmost.  In December, 1892, a new Church was opened in a suburban neighbourhood and a large number of the most influential people of his congregation identified themselves with the undertaking.  This, of course, considerably diminished the attendance at the older Church at Albion.  This, however, was only for a time.  Mr Howell worked steadily and hopefully on and long before he left the place the morning congregation was as large as it had been before the opening of the new suburban place of worship and the evening congregation had considerably increased in numbers.  Such a result must have been gratifying to Mr. Howell and is a fine tribute to his powers as a preacher and to the earnestness of his labours as a minister discharging pastoral duties.

In 1894 Mr. Howell received and accepted the invitation of the members of the Soho Hill Congregational Chapel and although the time passed in the discharge of the duties of his new ministry has been short, he has already secured the affection and goodwill of his people.  The interest which he takes in the multifarious, important and beneficent works connected with a Church has proved that he is truly conscious of the influence which a minister exercises over the lives of others by the conscientious discharge of his duties.  In all these duties M. Howell proves how thoroughly his mind is endued with the true spirit of a Christian minister and is fully alive to the great responsibilities of his high calling.  He is not only an admirable and effective preacher, but is also a true pastor in the fullest and widest significance and acceptance of the word.

Nor are his labours absolutely confined to what some people, who have a very limited notion of the duties of a Christian minister, entertain.  He takes an enlarged and liberal view of his office and like so many of the eminent leaders in the Congregational community, he believes that Christianity should permeate through all the parts of a man’s life; and he has always taken an active part in educational, temperance and political work.  And, although he has never preached a political sermon, he very properly claims his right as a citizen to lift up his voice on the platform on behalf of any reform which he considers necessary for the good and well-being of the people.  Such labours rendered by such men cannot fail in having the best influence in the improvement and elevation of humanity.  It is practical philanthropy in its healthiest field of work and we sincerely trust that Mr. Howell will be blest with health and strength long to continue his labours in our midst and that he will fully realise our great poet’s words, “The labour we delight in physic’s pain.”

========================

Messrs. Hall and English have been good enough to send us a copy of their “Birmingham Red Book” for 1895.  It is really impossible to over-estimate the value of this remarkably cheap publication, which is an admirable compendium of the most interesting and useful information relative to our city.  It is produced in the careful, complete manner so characteristic of this firm and if it were five times the money (the price, by the way, is only sixpence) we should still have no hesitation in saying that no Birmingham man can be complete without it.