Edward Holdsworth SUGDEN

SUGDEN, EDWARD HOLDSWORTH (b. Ecclesfield, England, 19 June 1854; d. Melbourne, Vic, 22 July 1935). Methodist minister, master of Queen's College.

Son of a Wesleyan minister, Sugden was educated at Woodhouse Grove, from which he won the Gilchrist Scholarship to Owens College, Manchester in 1870 (BA 1872, BSc 1876). Educated for the Wesleyan ministry at Headingly from 1874, he was both student and tutor in classics, as well as active in the musical life of Leeds. Appointed to the Bradford district, he was minister at Great Horton when he was called to be the first master of Queen's College in Melbourne in 1887. Noted as an evangelistic and apologetic preacher, he also was a fine musician, active in sport and in Bradford's cultural life. His first wife had died in 1883 and he remarried in 1886.

A big, genial Yorkshireman, Sugden was a splendid choice for the mastership, combining that with theological tutoring until 1920, when A E Albiston took over the load of teaching. Sugden was suspect by conservative Methodists and accused of withering student faith, corrupting them by drama and worldliness. In fact he was representative of the best in the Wesleyan tradition as well as being deeply committed to liberal education. He helped to revive Wesley Church in 1888 by people's services, was active in Sunday schools and choral circles as conductor and composer. Combining piety and learning in an attractive blend, he had a profound influence on generations of divinity and college students. Queen's was a model followed by other states in the 20th century. His flair for drama was expressed in an annual college play, often Shakespeare, of whose work he had an exceptional knowledge, which led to a D Litt.

Deeply committed to the Wesleyan heritage, he ran a class meeting for his students, edited John Wesley's sermons and built up an exceptional library of Wesleyana. He played an active part in university affairs, was a member of the University Council from 1900-25, incurring the anger of many Methodists for his defence of Professor Marshall Hall in 1900, insisting that his daughters were not corrupted by the professor's classes. He chaired the Committee for the Conservatorium for 22 years, was for a time music critic for Melbourne papers and a close friend of many musicians, including Dr A E Floyd, organist of St Paul's Cathedral. In addition he was a trustee of the Public Library and chairman from 1933, and a trustee of the National Gallery. His civic stature went with keen social compassion, though that did not extend to German staff members of the University of Melbourne, who were unfairly dismissed during the 1914-18 war. Sugden was a forces chaplain to servicemen at Royal Park where his generosity of spirit was appreciated, just as it was by his students.

He was remarkably free from the legalism which afflicted many evangelicals, smoking a pipe and enjoying opera. His travel diaries show a deep interest in history and antiquities as well as an ecumenical spirit, which led to important cooperation with the Baptist and Congregational College and helped in the foundation of the Melbourne College of Divinity. The British Methodist conference recognised his theological stature by inviting him to give the Fernley Lectures in 1928, after his term as president of General Conference from 1923-26. He retired from the mastership in the latter part of 1928, increasingly crippled by arthritis which he bore very bravely. Embodying a rare combination of liberalism and evangelicalism, he was a notable leader in Australian Methodism.

ADB 12; M F Sugden, Sugden of Queens (Melbourne, 1941)

IAN BREWARD