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Charles Jeffries

Commissioner Charles Henry Jeffries (1864 - February 1, 1936) became an officer in 1883, entering the CFOT from Whitechapel, London, England. He is a notable Salvationist as he was formerly the 2nd in charge of the Skeleton Army.

On Sunday, January 1, 1882, Jeffries and other members of the Skeleton Army were disrupting a Salvation Army watchnight service that lasted through the night at the Whitechapel Corps. Charles H Lindsay and Reuben Edwards were present at this service. Edwards had urged Jeffries to decided for Christ but was repulsed. In the Sunday evening meeting Edwards, again rebuffed by Jeffries, said, “If you will not let me speak to you, I will pray for you!” and himself knelt at the penitent-form. A few minutes later, Jeffries dropped on his knees by his side. That night, thirty members of the Skeleton Army knelt with them.

Commissioner Charles Jeffries
jeffries_charles.jpg
RankCommissioner
Birth Date1864
Death DateFebruary 1, 1936

Appointments

AppointmentRankFromUntil
Penzance, EnglandLieutenantMarch 1883
St Blazey, EnglandCaptain
Devonport, EnglandCaptain
Social Secretary - Sydney, Australia August 1884
Provincial Commander for WalesAdjutantOctober 1899
Provincial Commander for the North West of EnglandAdjutantDecember 1901
Assistant Field Secretary at the National Headquarters in LondonAdjutant19071911
Field SecretaryAdjutant1911
ChinaAdjutantFebruary 1918April 1919
Principal of the International Training CollegeCommissionerJanuary 19221931
British CommissionerCommissioner19311935

Obituary

Cabled advice was received at the Sydney headquarters of the Salvation Army yesterday of the death in America of Commissioner Charles Jeffries, who was on his way to lead the annual congress in Australia.

The death of Lieutenant-Colonel Mabee, of America, who accompanied General Evangeline Booth on her Australian tour last year, was announced in the same message.

Commissioner C. Jeffries

Commissioner Jeffries retired from active service at the end of last year. He then held the office of British Commissioner, the largest command in the Salvation Army, comprising operations in the British Isles and Iceland. He joined the movement under its founder, General William Booth, in its early stage. He was among the earliest officers in Australia, where his appointments included that of social secretary. He inaugurated the work among children, which has since become a valuable feature of the Salvation Army's activities in Australia. He had a wide experience in many countries, and his strength of character and profound understanding of the purpose and ideals of the Salvation Army left their mark upon the thousands of young men and women who passed through the International Training College in London during the 10 years while he was the principal. His wife, who died three years ago, was an Australian, being well-known among Salvationists here by her maiden name, Captain Martha Harris.

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