THE POST (NEWSPAPER)

Saturday, April 4, 1925

Transcribed by Sybil Nunn. Letters in red were unclear in the original and are my best guess.

LOCAL STANTIONMASTERS LEAVING

The people of Egloskerry and Non-conformists of North Cornwall generally will regret the departure of Mr. J. Tupman, stationmaster of Egloskerry, to East Sedleigh Station, which will take place within the next few days.

In an interview with our representative on Wednesday, Mr. Tupman said that his going away was not promotion, but a change of stations, and being near his home he had great hopes of better health.

Mr. Tupman joins the Company's service in 1884 at Yeovil Junction where he was six years. He was then promoted to the travelling staff at Exeter, where he was a travelling signalman for three years. Returning to Yeovil Junction as a signalman, he remained there for 22 years, and then moved to Coombpyne in the capacity of a stationmaster. Following on this Mr. Tupman came to Egloskerry in 1920.

RAILWAYMAN - LOCAL PREACHER

Mr. Tupman was baptised at Yeovil in 1901 by the Rev. Hugo Hermes, and started local preaching about the same time. He was on the Wesleyan and Baptist plans until he left for Coombpyne in 1913. At Coombpyne, Mr. Tupman served the Devon and Dorset Mission for seven years and also the United Methodists of the Dalwood Circuit preaching within a radius of 20 miles and even down to Sidmouth. Since he has been in Egloskerry, he has been on eight plans " Launceston United Methodist, Wesleyan, Baptist, Week St. Mary, Camelford and Wadebridge U.M., North Hill, Holsworthy and Liskeard " and he has preached in nearly 70 chapels. Whilst at Egloskerry, Mr. Tupman was connected with the Wesleyan Church there and acted as conductor at anniversaries and on other special occasions. He is a well-known evangelist, helping both Sir A Radford and Mr. Gibbs of North Wales, in their numerous missions in North Cornwall, his singing and playing of his instrument being contributory factors to the success of the missions. On these occasions his popular songs were "Nothing to Pay" and "Up the line to Glory". Songs that were always demanded by his audience. His last appointments in this district are at Navarino on Good Friday, where he will give 16 items, and at Greystone Chapel on Easter Sunday evening.

MR. TUPMAN REMINISCENT.

While at Coombpyne Mr. Tupman had to go to Farway to preach, and on the return journey he ran into flood water at a level crossing at Colyford, the water taking him up to his knees. It was impossible to pass so he jumped off his cycle, on which his instrument had been strapped, and had to stay the night at Colyton, his wife not knowing where he was.

Another incident was when he had promised to preach at Ottery St. Mary on a Sunday morning. He made the journey by cycle and the rain came down in torrents. All went well until he gained Seaton Bridge, when his hat blew into the sea. Mr. Tupman promptly got off and went down the wall to a boat with which he had great hopes of retrieving his hat, but alas ! when he reached the boat he found he was in an old "tub" with water inches deep. Mr. Tupman managed to paddle to where his hat was floating and after several attempts to reach the hat without falling over, managed to get it. He managed to ride the remaining seven miles and arrived exhausted and dripping. As Mr. Tupman says, it must have been amusing when the pastor called upon him to address the audience, for he was more fit to be in bed. But nevertheless, he proved equal to the occasion and spoke from the words "Christ equal to any emergency." After the service, his host, one of the Zacchaeus type of men, kindly lent him a suit of clothes, which gave him a tight feeling all round, the cuffs being not far from his elbows and the trouser bottoms being desperately near his knees !

Mr. Tupman spoke of a time when he was the means of converting the only convert he had whilst stationed there. It was whilst returning home from an appointment at Whitford Chapel, that he met a young man who had heard him preach that night wished to give his heart to the Christ. They leaned over a gate together, and both engaged in prayer, and there, in a blinding snowstorm, his friend definitely made the decision. "That young man," continued Mr. Tupman, "is standing to-day, and I met him three years later in an open air meeting."

His last anecdote was that on one occasion being on duty in the signal box, several of his mates in adjoining boxes rang up and said "Jim, what about a tune? Wife's here listening." He replied and sang for about one hour and a quarter over the phone to railway men and their wives within a distance of 50 miles. And the last he heard of them was "Well done ! Jimmy."

CRAFTSMAN AND COMPOSER.

Mr. Tupman learnt the printing trade before joining the railway, which was beneficial to him in later years when he did a considerable amount of of fretwork. Most of it was done during the last 12 years that he was in the signal box at Yeovil, it helping to pass away the time whilst on night duty. His home is adorned with the fruits of his labours; and this is where his printing knowledge was useful to him. He used to cut out the letters and in making up the words for his texts, which are framed, he knew the art of spacing correctly and displaying. One of his best pieces of work was the making of the tune "Aberyswyth" which contained 1,047 pieces, the half notes, slums, etc being carved beautifully. Another tune (only smaller both in length and space), which is set to the words "Jesu, the very thought of Thee" was shown our representative, Mr. Tupman explaining that it was the worst he had done. The salient feature of this work was the way in which the words were carved and set along the top of each cleft.

Another amazing fact was whilst on night duty at Yeovil he wrote 12,000 pages of correspondence on spiritual matters to friends in different parts of the world.

Mr. Tupman is a keen musician and has compost 20 tunes and written about ten hymns, the chief of which is "Blessed Hope Railway."

"I have had a happy time here," concluded Mr. Tupman, "and I hope to have as good again."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE POST

Sir, -- May I be allowed to use the medium of your paper to say I have accepted a post offered me at East Budleigh, where I hope to enjoy better health. And in taking this liberty I wish to express my thanks to the many friends for miles around who have looked after the material needs of my wife and myself, while I have endeavoured to preach the gospel in various chapels. We have been entertained in nearly one hundred different homes, and the places of worship in which I have preached, number 65. It will be a great miss not to see their faces, and to enjoy happy fellowship with them, but it has been happy work singing and speaking for the Master, and to those who read these lines I trust they will accept our appreciation of their open-heartedness, and that out of all that has been done someone has been blessed. I hope still to pursue the same course elsewhere, and to make other friends as loyal as those we are leaving behind. - Yours faithfully.

J. Tupman

Egloskerry, April 1.