READY, WILLIAM (1862-1927) was born in London of Roman Catholic parents who died while he was young. At six years of age he earned his livelihood in London at street tumbling and as boot-black and crossing-sweeper. A city missionary sent him to George Muller's orphan home in Bristol, from which he twice absconded in his first year. He was apprenticed to a flour-miller named Perryman at Chagford, Devon (a local preacher of the Bible Christian Church). Through his influence Ready became a local preacher and his manifest gifts led to his call to the ministry. He was sent to Shebbear College, Devon, and in 1885 began his ministry at Hatherly. In Feb 1887 he sailed for New Zealand, and served in Christchurch and at Banks Peninsula (under the Rev John Orchard). He married (1890) Miss Fanny Luxton. In that year he went to Dunedin to inaugurate work for the Bible Christian Church. He and his wife held their first meetings in the streets, soon gathering crowds about them. Ready then engaged first the Rattray Street Hall and later the Lyceum Theatre. Each in turn proved too small and he engaged the Garrison Hall, where every Sunday he preached to from 1,200 to 1,800 people. His work rapidly developed into the Dunedin Methodist central mission. In 1896 the Bible Christian Church united with the Wesleyan Methodist Church. In 1899 Ready was transferred to the Pitt Street church, Auckland. He was elected president of the Methodist conference in 1912. He later served at Christchurch and in Invercargill. In 1917 he was chaplain with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the hospital ship Maheno.

Ready was a strong and attractive personality, a lover of the poor, and a trusted counsellor of the rich. He had a tireless passion for social reform. He was superannuated in 1926 and died on 7 Sep 1927. His life story has been recorded by the Rev Lewis H. Court in a book Ready, Aye Ready.

MARP.

Reference: Volume 2, page 107

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