I wish George Baxter was one of my ancestors

When ploughing through parish magazines, I sometimes find stories about interesting and unusual characters who I wish I was related to. It must be wonderful to find ancestors who were very active in their community, made a difference in some way, performed some heroic deed, or were just plain eccentric!

One character who I am particularly fond of was a chap called George Baxter, who I found in a Kilburn parish magazine from 1896.

George didn't perform any heroic deeds, and died in a very tragic way. But the way in which the clergy described him in his obituary in the magazine creates the impression "reading between the lines" that he must have been quite a character! Read this and see what you think .....

"Death has been busy in our congregation during the past month.
On Saturday, the 12th, it pleased God to take unto himself the soul of our brother, George Baxter. Not twelve months ago he was well known amongst working-men as an Infidel, having for more than twenty years used his influence against the Lord Jesus.
It was during the months of October and November last that God wakened him to a deep disquietude of soul. He sought the Lord and he found Him, and ever since he has distinctly and definitely identified himself with Christ and His cause in Kilburn. He manfully testified amongst his friends for the Lord Jesus, and for the last nine months was seldom absent from any of the Services in our Church. On Friday, 11th, he was run over by a brewer’s dray on the Kilburn High Road, and received such severe injuries that he died a few hours after his admission into St. Mary’s Hospital. We saw him in the hospital in the evening. He was quite conscious. He knew he was dying. We questioned him about his hope in Christ, and his last words to us were a distinct declaration of unswerving confidence in his God and Saviour. On Saturday, 19th, the Phoenix Lodge men, with whom he had been associated all his life, brought his remains to St. John’s Church, which was well filled by working people, who joined most reverently in our solemn Burial Service. The remains were then brought to Willesden Cemetery."

If you're related to George in some way, do please let us know!