Wesleyan Chapel Lecture – Life and Saying of the late Rev. Peter Mackenzie (picture)

April 1896

Mexborough & Swinton Times, April 10, 1896

Wesleyan Chapel Lecture

A Diamond in the Rough or
the Life and Saying of the late Rev. Peter Mackenzie

On Tuesday evening the Rev. John Pickup (formerly of Conisborough), now of St. Peter’s Mission, Leeds, delivered his popular and interesting lecture on ‘A diamond in the rough or the life and saying of the late Rev. Peter Mackenzie,’ in the Wesleyan Chapel.

The opening ceremonies were performed by Mr. Geo. Appleyard, and the chair taken by Mr. Walter Maxfield, who in a brief speech, reminded his hearers of Mr. Pickup’s previous work amongst them, and of the many old friends who had since taken to their rest.

Mr. Pickup at the outset made reference to his own mission work in St. Peter’s, Leeds, and the many encouraging results, he and his fiends were achieving in the low part of the city whose inhabitants are chiefly composed of Jews and Roman Catholics, and possesses scarcely one skilled artizan.

Makenzie

Passing on to the direct subject of his lecture. Mr. Pickup said that Peter Mackenzie was a Scotchman by birth, being born at Glenshiel on Nov. 11, 1824, of poor but respectable parents, tracing his remarkable career step by step up to the time he was accepted by the Wesleyan Conference, and sent to College. Many were the amusing anecdotes told by Mr. Pickup of this eminent divine, but the climax was reached when he dealt with the witty saying of the illustrious Peter, whom the lecturer described as a born comedian and a wit of no mean order. The lecture, which lasted exactly an hour was delivered in excellent style, and was a credit to the lecturer as well as his subject. A collection was taken at the close, and the proceeds divided between Mr. Pickup’s mission and the local Sunday School.