In 1893 we removed to Manchester and my Father entered upon his work as Principal of the Primitive Methodist College, known later as Hartley College. The duties which he now took up were most congenial to him, and it is no exaggeration to say that the years which immediately followed were amongst the happiest of his whole life. His was a nature which felt great joy in giving; the imparting of knowledge to others afforded him keen pleasure, and he was prodigal in this respect, giving away with generous hands what, owing to lack of early advantages, had cost him much labour to acquire. To him the ministerial life was the life which afforded greatest opportunities for service to God and man, and as such was highly prized. Therefore the knowledge that his work from day to day was helping to fit men for this supreme task filled him with joy, making less irksome to him the duties which fell to his lot as Governor.

My mother relieved him of many of the petty details, so unobtrusively though, that few realised what a tremendous help she was to him. He was readiest of all to admire her business capacity and to admit how much he owed to her. Though he had known Dr. Peake for but a short time he had already a profound love and admiration for him, and the close companionship in work at the College strengthened and confirmed these feelings. Dr. Peake has in a very able and beautiful way, described their work together; it is therefore quite unnecessary for me to attempt any description of the scholastic side of the College life; one or two minor details may be of interest.

In the early days of the College it was evidently thought by those in authority that young men did not need athletic sports, in fact were not they and such like things "works of the devil" ? A small deputation of students, evidently rather uncertain as to the reception my Father would give to their request, waited upon him soon after the Autumn term began; with some diffidence they made known the wishes of the men - "Could the Principal see his way clear to allow the men to hire a field for the playing of football ?" Their fears soon vanished when the Principal assured them, with considerable heartiness, that not only was he anxious for them to have the field, but that he would bring the matter before the College Committee and try to induce that important body to pay for the hire of it. He did so with the happiest results. The man, who, as a boy in his native dale, had been famous for his long jumps, his swimming and his powers as a wrestler, had fellow feelings with the men who wanted something a little more exciting than a stroll along the somewhat monotonous roads in the Alexandra Park district.

In September 1894 my sister was married to the Rev. Wilson Eccles. Surely there are some "old boys" "growing older and older, shorter in wind and in memory long" who remember that day! It had been the wish of my Father and Mother that everybody should share in the festivities and as the students gave whole hearted energy to the undertaking the wish was fully gratified. September the fifth was only the culminating point; serenades and jokes of various kinds had enlivened the day (and nights) of guests and bridegroom!!

In 1894 my Father became the Assistant Editor of the Primitive Methodist Quarterly Review, now known as the Holborn Review. The Rev. Colin Campbell McKechnie had been its Editor since its inception, but failing health forced him to seek relief from the work he loved so much and in which he had shown such conspicuous ability. His friendship with my Father, begun in the far away days when they were co-ministers in Newcastle-in-Tyne, had increased as the years had gone by, and as each had proved the other's worth. Their joint editorship lasted until 1896, the year of Mr. McKechnie's death. In 1895, after a period of depression, he wrote as follows:-

Mr. McKechnie was a brilliant scholar with great strength of character and a strong vein of somewhat caustic and yet kindly humour. My Father's relationship with him was of the most happy nature and he found Mr. McKechnie's counsel and correction had been of great service to him when the time came for him to assume the sole editorship.

In his section of this book Dr. Peake makes reference to a certain "heresy hunt" which took place about this time. A few words in reference to it may be of interest, if only to show that we have travelled at least a little distance since the days of which I am writing. Surely such things could not take place now.

One of the most brilliant ministers the Primitive Methodist Church has possessed was the late Rev. John Day Thompson, then in charge of a circuit in North Adelaide, South Australia. A sermon of his entitled "The Simple Gospel" was published in a local paper and sent over to England. Certain brethren having read it, violently attacked Mr. Thompson in the Connexional newspapers and in public meetings. Mr. Thompson's views were advanced but not more so than were those of many of our ministers. Among these I would certainly place my Father, who in all his long ministry was never accused of heresy though he probably could have been with as much truth as was Mr. Thompson. The fact was Mr. Thompson had a Puck-like love of shocking people and often reminded those who loved him best of an irrepressible boy. He also held most strongly, as did my father, to the belief that every man has the right to free speech and opinion. To a man of my father's temperament, the fact that the person attacked was thousands of miles away and could not defend himself by meeting these accusations face to face, was all-impelling, and he sprang to the defence of Mr. Thompson with all the vigour of which he was capable. Dr. Peake and other laymen and ministers soon joined him in his brotherly action, but the opposition was very determined and the controversy lasted long.

At the Conference of 1890 held in Sunderland (one of his former circuits) he had been elected Secretary of Conference. In 1895 the Conference called him to the Presidential Chair, the highest honour the Primitive Methodist Church has in its power to bestow. The Conference of that year was held in Edinburgh in the beautiful Assembly Hall of the Free Church of Scotland, kindly placed at the disposal of the Conference by that Church. It had been the custom up to then that the President should deliver his Presidential Address when assuming office. My Father in delivering his address the following day made the first departure from this rule. It should be understood that the President's nomination and election took place at one and the same Conference, and not as now - that is, the nomination taking place the year previous to his assuming office. His election was felt to be a most suitable one; the "Primitive Methodist" in its Conference Supplement said, "In a city famed for its learning, its churches, and its great preachers, it is desirable that one of the ablest and most representative men of our church should occupy the Presidential chair. We therefore congratulate the Conference on its choice." Mr. William Windsor and Dr. Peake were his nominator and seconder.

Quoting again from the "Primitive Methodist":-

"As the new President took the chair one could not but be struck with his fine presence, and still more with his clear, ringing voice. Much of the success of the President depends on the timbre of his voice, and Principal Watson in this respect has much in his favour. Seated, the historic chair forms a fine background for the shapely head and white hair and beard. We were still more impressed by a curious aloofness in the President's air. He recognised the importance of the occasion and the greatness of the honour conferred upon him, but you somehow felt that he dwelt in a region above that in which the ordinary office lover, and mere ecclesiastic usually lives, moves and has his being. The President is master of himself, and manifested all that quiet dignity that we expected."

Mr. Winn, the retiring President had the previous year departed from the somewhat time-worn custom of giving an autobiographical sketch on entering upon his year of office, and the President improved on his good example.

A few words from one of the Connexional papers respecting his address may be of interest:-

"We had the Presidential address this morning. It was generally admitted to be one of the finest addresses we have had from the chair for many years past. Some indeed would give it even higher praise than that. It was in every respect a beautiful address. It breathed a profoundly religious spirit from first to last, and was chaste, eloquent and eminently timely. We have often admired the President but never quite so much as we did this morning. His deliverance was in every sense worthy of him and of the occasion. It did credit alike to his heart and to his head. It was dignified without being in the least stiff or formal, and the needs and perils of our Church at the present time were sketched with a master hand. Its elevated tone, its spiritual fervour, the wisdom of its counsels and the breadth of its insight made it a deliverance long to be remembered. The fine blending of the old and the new which reveals itself in the President, came out very strikingly this morning. The narrowness and bigotry of the heresy hunter are far removed from his temper, and yet no advocate of holiness could have better set forth the vital elements of what is called the Holiness Movement than did the President this morning. On the other hand, it was easy to see that he is not only no alarmist in relation to the Higher Criticism, but though conservative in the best sense and holding tenaciously by the great verities of the Gospel, he is like the old Puritan whom he quoted, "ever ready to welcome the new light which God has to "break out of His Word." It is a happy thing that at the present juncture a man of such theological soundness and breadth should hold a leading place in the Councils of our Church."

At the close of the address Dr. Alexander Whyte rose to address the Conference, giving in the name of the Free Church of Scotland a welcome to the Primitive Methodist Conference. "It was not a fulsome compliment he paid the President whom he persisted in addressing as Moderator, but one as delicate as it was manifestly sincere." In proceeding with his address he said, "in the first place, it would be unbecoming of him to pay a compliment, but he would say that many and noble as had been the addresses that he had heard from that chair, he had never heard a more direct and pointed, effective and faithful address than had been delivered that morning, and he could only wish that the Fathers and Brethren who usually filled that hall had been there to hear it."

During the President's stay in Edinburgh he was the guest of Dr. Alexander Whyte and many times in later years he referred with feelings of lively gratitude to the brotherly spirit which the Doctor displayed while he was in his home. That home, as all who knew him realised, very speedily, was a place where Christ and all things touching His Kingdom had first place. How well I remember one of the delightful evenings we spent in his company. Dr. Whyte had very graciously invited some of the most eminent scholars of that day to meet my Father; Principal Rainy speedily won my heart by the interest he showed in the reading of the shy school-girl, telling me a story concerning Francis Power Cobb in this connection. The story has been forgotten but the memory of his kindliness remains. The evening passed in conversation and music and, as the hour was late, the time for separation came. "Mary" said Dr. Whyte, to a maid passing through the room, "bring the Book". The Book was brought, the Maids came in and instantly the hum of voices ceased and the Doctor read to us. It was a scene not easily to be forgotten. The Doctor's face with its fine blending of sweetness and strength, with the light falling softly on the silvery hair, the clear musical voice, and above and beyond all, the simplicity and naturalness of the act. One felt that it was the most beautiful and yet the only possible ending to an evening spent in such a home. A few quiet words of prayer and we went on our way feeling that it had been good to be there.

As many have reason to know, it was a custom with Dr. Whyte to present to those with whom he had had pleasant companionship a book as a little remembrance of the time spent together. In this way Dr. Whyte gave my Father "William Law" which he treasured partly on account of the scholarship of the giver, but pre-eminently because it perpetuated the memory of pleasant days of comradeship.

The Presidential Year was, of course, a busy one. Fortunately his health was excellent, otherwise it could not have endured the heavy strain of College lectures and Review Editorship, in addition to all the demands made upon his time in fulfilling the arduous duties which fall to the lot of the President. With his usual fairness he was determined that his College work should not suffer on account of his many engagements. This meant unceasing toil, but at the end of the year it was apparent that his grip on his many interests had not slackened, and that the time had been well spent in the service of the church he loved so well.

It is a rule of the Primitive Methodist Church that its Connexional Officers retain office for five years only. Therefore the time of my Father's Principalship had now come to an end and in 1897 he left the College. It was felt, however, that his services ought not to be lost to the College, so on the recommendation of the College Committee, the Conference decided to appoint him as tutor on the staff. There was a little division of opinion as to whether the appointment should be a whole time one or whether he should combine the work of circuit minister and tutor. After some discussion it was decided that he should be put in charge of a circuit with a young minister as an assistant and also undertake the tutorial duties. He was accordingly appointed to the Manchester IX circuit. In the opinion of the writer it was an impossible arrangement. Splendid as was my Father's health it was an intolerable strain to place upon it; he was now in his 66th year and either duty would have been enough for a much younger man.

He had a conscience that would not permit him to put less than his best into his work and the dual task was one that should not have been imposed upon him. It says much for his vigorous constitution that for four years he carried on his work as minister and tutor with satisfaction to the circuit and the College Committee. But he was continually using up every ounce of strength; no reserves were being stored up, and when sorrow of the acutest kind fell upon him the inevitable collapse came with tragic suddenness.