Bird, Mark B

Bird, Mark B.

a minister of the English Wesleyan connection, was born in London in 1807. He was converted early in life, and called into the ministry. In 1833 he was appointed to the Evesham Circuit. The year following he offered himself for missionary service, and was sent to Jamaica, where he labored four years, impaired health causing his return to England. A year's work on Ipswich Circuit so improved his health that he felt ready to return. Accordingly, in 1839 he was sent to Hayti, where he labored nearly forty years. He returned in 1879, spent some months in Alderney, and in July of 1880, being in very feeble health, removed to Jersey, where he died very suddenly, Aug. 23 of the same year. "In prosperity and adversity he clung to his post of duty with a moral heroism worthy of the highest commendation." "He was a plain, practical, faithful, and thoroughly evangelical preacher, and specially solicitous for the spiritual welfare of the young. During the whole course of his ministry, his labors were greatly owned of God." See Minutes of the British Conference, 1881, p. 13.