Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

William Ridsdel (20 September 1844 – 8 February 1931 in Clapton) was a Commissioner in

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

, the second highest rank attainable by

Officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in the organisation, and the highest 'appointed' rank. An early

Salvationist The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents co ...

, he joined The Salvation Army in 1873 when it was still called

The Christian Mission The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents co ...

. Born in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, he was brought up in a "state of semi-heathenism" until his parents were ' saved'. Originally a

grocer A grocery store (American English, AE), grocery shop (British English, BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food Product (business), products, which may be Fresh food, fresh or Food preservation, packaged ...

's assistant, he later became a preacher for the

Primitive Methodists The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834). In the United States, the Primiti ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

but he was largely unmoved by that group. Reading about the work of

William Booth William Booth (10 April 182920 August 1912) was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first "General" (1878–1912). His 1890 book In Darkest England and The Way Out outli ...

Ridsdel moved to London in 1873 and became an

evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...

for that group.Walker, Pamela J. ''Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down: the Salvation Army in Victorian Britain''

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...

(2001) pg 87 ''

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'' The organisation later changed its name to

. He became a Field Officer and Divisional Officer in England and Secretary for Work in Scotland. From 1877 to 1878 he was in command at

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. In 1878 he married Captain Mary Ann Davies (1849-1890), the first female Salvation Army Officer. She is buried in

Arnos Vale Cemetery Arnos Vale Cemetery () (also written Arno's Vale Cemetery), in Arnos Vale, Bristol, England, was established in 1837. Its first burial was in 1839. The cemetery followed a joint-stock model, funded by shareholders. It was laid out as an Arcadi ...

. By 1887 he was a Major. He became a

in The Salvation Army and Territorial Commander in Sweden from 1892 to 1896. He was also at various times the head of The Salvation Army in South Africa (where he met President

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or ...

in 1900), Norway and the Netherlands. In 1894 he married Staff Captain Isabella Mobley (1858-1952). A. M. Nicol in his

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

wrote of Ridsdel in 1906:

"One of the few remaining members of the Christian Mission occupying a big position in the Salvation Army. A safe man. He is keen on buying and selling property in the interests of the organisation. He has an inveterate love of sermonising, and yet rumour has it that as a speaker he has not proved a
Demosthenes Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prow ...
.

Here is a sad story about the good and faithful warrior. Twenty-five years ago Colonel Lawley heard him deliver a sermon from the text " How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" It was delivered with muscular emphasis and much prancing on the stage. It was considered a good address. Five years ago the same officer heard him preach in another country one Sunday night. At the close Mr. Ridsdel asked his comrade what he thought of the delivery. The text was the same and the wording the same, even the muscular part not being omitted. The wicked officer made answer, " William, not so well done as when I heard the same sermon preached by the General thirty-two years ago and by yourself in Plymouth twenty-five years ago." Notwithstanding, Commissioner Ridsdel has done good work for the Flag, and the General will swear by him to the end."

He retired from active service in 1916. By that time he was the oldest serving Salvation Army officer. In his will he left £573 16s 3d to his widow Isabella Ridsdel and his sons Ernest Bramwell Ridsdel (1881-1939), (a company director) and Douglas Sydney Ridsdel, a Salvation Army officer. Like many other prominent

s he is buried in

Abney Park Cemetery Abney Park cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries in London, England. Abney Park in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney, D ...

.Ridsdel
on

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website

References

External links

Letters from General William Booth to Ridsdel
- Historical Manuscripts Commission

The National Archive National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridsdel, William 1844 births 1931 deaths Salvation Army officers Commissioners in The Salvation Army Swedish Salvationists Burials at Abney Park Cemetery