Charles Farrar Forster (29 February 1848 – 28 August 1894) was curate of the parish of Lockwood near Huddersfield, vicar of St Andrew's Church in Huddersfield, and the first vicar of the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Beckwithshaw.Huddersfield Chronicle, 18 September 1894: The late Rev. C.F. Forster
In spite of suffering severe pain due to heart disease during his working years, he was known for his dedication to parochial work and for the large congregations who came to hear his sermons. For all his bodily fragility he was notable for his personal charisma, causing various newspapers to remark upon the numerous friends among his past and recent parishioners and among his fellow clergymen who formed part of his life and who attended his funeral and memorial services.
Life Ancestors Charles' paternal grandfather Daniel Forster, an inspector of weights, was born in Otley, West Yorkshire in 1776, and died in 1844.United Kingdom Census 1841: Daniel Forster was aged 65; his wife Bella was 45, and they were living in Union Street, Otley, with their sons Daniel aged 25 and Henry aged 15. Ref.H0107/bk9/fol23/p.19/PieceNo1314 He was buried on 30 December 1844 in the same town.Death cert: Dec 1844, Forster, Daniel, Otley, 23/333 His wife Bella, a school mistress and Charles' grandmother, was baptised in Otley in 1796, and died aged 78 in 1866 in Otley.Death cert: Sep 1866, Forster, Bella, 78, Otley, 9a/88
Their seventh child was Henry Highmore Forster, Charles' father, who was born on 14 October 1821 in Otley and baptised on 11 August 1823 at All Saints Church, Otley. In 1841 at the age of 15, Henry was a grocer, as was his older brother. Henry died in Burmantofts aged 48 on 14 March 1869.Death cert: Mar 1869, Forster, Henry Highmore, 48, Leeds, 9b/320 Charles' mother was Martha Ann Farrar, who was born in 1825 in Halifax, West Yorkshire and died in Guisborough in North Yorkshire in 1897 aged 72.Death cert: Dec 1897, Forster, Martha Ann, 72, Guisborough, 9d/324 Henry and Martha married in 1846 in Halifax and had six children, of which Charles was the eldest.Marriage cert: Dec 1846, Forster, Henry Highmore, Halifax, XXII/171 One of Charles' brothers was Edward Eustace Forster (1849–1916), chairman and managing director of printers Knight & Forster Ltd., of Leeds.From family history information written in the 1920s on the back of original print portrait of Charles Farrar Forster. See image :File:Reverse of photograph of Charles Farrar Forster.jpeg
Charles and his wife
Charles Farrar Forster was born on 29 February 1848 in Knaresborough.Birth cert: Mar 1848, Forster, Charles Farrar, Knaresborough 23/357 On 6 October 1880, in Lockwood parish church, he married Mary Priestley, who was born in 1858 in Lockwood and was the eldest daughter of James Priestley, JP. In honour of this marriage, 438 workers at B. Vickerman & Son, a woollen mill in Huddersfield, were given a day out by special train from Berry Brow to Southport.Huddersfield Chronicle, 16 October 1880Image of B. Vickerman & Son, woollen mill, Huddersfield, 1929
The 1891 Census shows them living at Pannal vicarage with one servant: Ellen Tupper, aged 46, from Wiltshire. He is aged 43, Mary is 33, and he is described as a clerk in holy orders.United Kingdom Census 1891: ref.RG12/folio134/p.7/PieceNo3519
Farrar had a weak heart. In July 1894, just before evening service at Beckwithshaw he had a "bad attack" in the church, and the service was postponed. With some difficulty his parishioners carried him to the vicarage and called for medical aid. He was too ill to work, and was taken to Bournemouth for a rest and the sea air in the hope of improving his health.
He died in Bournemouth on the morning of Wednesday 28 August 1894, leaving his wife a widow with no children.The York Herald, 1 September 1894: Death of the Rev. C.F. Forster, vicar of BeckwithshawHuddersfield & District Chronicle, 29 August 1894: Death of the Rev. C.F. Forster, FRGS.Death cert: Sep 1894, Forster, Charles Farrar, 46, Christchurch, 2b/366 His funeral at 3pm at Beckwithshaw Church on 1 September 1894 was brief: he was buried just half an hour later at 3.30pm at Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate.Gravestone photos: Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate, section A, grave no. 170999, Charles Farrar Forster Current reference for grave location is Section A, grave no. 28. Directions: enter cemetery's main gate; grave is in 7th row (parallel with street) on left of path, 1st grave in row, by tree.Yorkshire Evening Post, Friday 31 August 1894 p2 col4: DeathsThe grave plot is owned by the descendants of Mark Rowntree (1838–1923), vicar of St Robert's Church, Pannal. Information from Stonefall Cemetery office
At Armitage Bridge, West Yorkshire on 30 September 1902 at the age of 44, Mary Forster née Priestley took a second husband, a widower who had been married twice before: Sir Thomas Brooke, baronet (31 May 1830 – 16 July 1908), of Armitage Bridge House, near Huddersfield, a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace.Marriage cert: September 1902, Thomas Brooke and Mary Forster, Huddersfield, 9a/522Yorkshire Post, 1 October 1902: 'Yorkshire Weddings: Sir Thomas Brooke and Mrs. Forster'Who was who: a companion to Who's who, containing the biographies of those who died during the period .. (London : A. & C. Black, 1920) Mary died on 12 March 1938, aged 80.Death cert: Mar 1938, Brooke, Mary, 80, Huddersfield, 9a/367
Work
Forster studied at St Bees Theological College.Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 15 January 1887 In 1873 or 1875 he was ordained deacon at Ripon. From 1873 or 1875 to 1878 he served as curate of Lockwood parish near Huddersfield. In 1877 he was ordained priest. When T.B. Bensted died in 1878 he resigned his first curacy at Lockwood, and from 1878 to 1880 served as curate or vicar at St. Mary the Virgin, Deane, Bolton le Moors in Lancashire.
St Andrew's, Huddersfield From 1878 to 1880 he was curate-in-charge at St Andrew's parish in Huddersfield, a "typical working class district", then on Monday 28 June 1880 was licensed to sole charge of the parish by the Bishop of Ripon and appointed to the living by five trustees.Huddersfield Chronicle, 3 July 1880 He was vicar until 1887. The living had a gross annual value of £260, but by the time his resignation was announced, it had fallen to £257.Leeds Times, 8 January 1887 He became well known there and had many friends.British Listed Buildings: former Church of St Andrew, Kirklees Built 1870; declared redundant 1975. Grade II listed. In spite of having an acute form of heart disease, his parochial work did not go unnoticed. The Huddersfield & District Chronicle said: "indeed he raised the organisation of St Andrew's parish to such a pitch of perfection that it became noted throughout the borough for the efficiency and thoroughness of its church life." He was described as ". . . a most assiduous and energetic parish worker," and as "an able and interesting preacher." He was noted for "his forcible pulpit utterances and earnest parochial work in attracting and maintaining a large congregation, in addition to the various organisations which an efficiently worked parish always possesses." Due to being "handicapped very considerably" by his poor health he was assisted in the fulfilment of his duties "in the most hearty manner" by his wife.
When he left this position, a subscription was held among his congregation and 80 people, many of them poor, contributed small sums towards two testimonials which were presented to Charles and his wife on the evening of 25 March 1887. Due to Charles' delicate state of health the presentation could not be public, so a deputation of gentlemen was sent to his house. They brought Charles a "handsome and valuable" gold watch, on the back of which was engraved his monogram, with the text inscribed inside: "Presented by the congregation of St Andrew's Church, Huddersfield, to the Rev Charles Farrar Forster, vicar, in token of their appreciation of his seven years' earnest work amongst them. March 1887."Huddersfield Chronicle, 26 March 1887 For Mary they brought a "chaste and artistic" lady's inlaid rosewood davenport. It carried the inscription: "Presented to Mrs C.F. Forster (on her leaving Huddersfield) by the congregation of St Andrew's Church, as a mark of their affection and esteem, March 1887." In their speeches of thanks, both Charles and Mary alluded to the great accord and friendship that they had experienced in the parish.
To demonstrate the kind of ceremonial life which Forster experienced during his ministry, here is an account of a funeral which he attended. On Wednesday 3 September 1890, he returned to Huddersfield with his father-in-law, James Priestley JP, to attend the grand funeral of Alderman John Varley JP (1836–1890), a wealthy, "brusque" and "rugged" coal-merchant with his finger in many pies, who had died of apoplexy.Huddersfield Chronicle, 6 September 1890: Death of Alderman Varley JP This involved a very long procession, robed or uniformed, winding its way on foot to the tolling of muffled bells from Varley's house, Springfield, Newsome to the church of St John the Evangelist, Newsome. It was headed by eighty policemen, nine firemen, over forty members of Huddersfield Borough Council and several Freemasons. Next came two carriages bearing priests and doctors, then the hearse flanked by walking bearers from the mill of Vickerman & Sons. About eight carriages containing chief mourners and local VIPs followed the hearse; then came many more VIPs on foot, including local politicians, and six private carriages containing more VIPs followed these. All along the road house-blinds were closed as the hearse drew near. When the procession passed by the mills, machinery stopped, flags dropped to half-mast and the workers lined the route, heads bowed. The surpliced choir met the procession at the church lychgate. Forster was waiting in the church to attend the service, being too infirm to take part in the procession.Huddersfield Chronicle, 3 September 1890: Funeral of the late Alderman Varley JP
After Forster died, he was well-remembered at St Andrews:[At St Andrew's] he ministered in season and out of season according to his strength and power . . . labouring patiently and diligently as an able preacher, a vigorous organiser, a wise manager of the schools, a painstaking parish priest, and in all things approved himself to be a Man of God. In those days this church was crowded to overflowing, for many came from far to hear his wise and loving words. Huddersfield Chronicle, 18 September 1894Rev. W.F. Shaw, quoted in Huddersfield Chronicle, 18 September 1894: The late Rev. C.F. Forster The Church Times published an In Memoriam for Charles:Mr Forster had for some years suffered a painful and distressing malady which he bore, however, with remarkable fortitude . . . A man of strong will, sound judgement and prompt decision, he influenced to no slight extent the Church life in Huddersfield while vicar of St Andrew's in that town; where he will ever be remembered for the definiteness of his teaching, the heartiness and reverence which characterised the services of his church, and for the well organised and successful day and Sunday schools connected therewith. Huddersfield Chronicle, 18 September 1894
St Michael and All Angels, Beckwithshaw