Beloved Sheffield vicar, who housed homeless in his cellar and gave all his money away, dies aged 97
One of Sheffield’s best known, and groundbreaking, former vicars, who gave all his money and wealth to the poor, has died, aged 97.
The Rev Meedperdas Edward Charles, popularly known as Father Charles, or ME Charles, died on January 18, and was remembered in a special service at Sheffield Cathedral on February 16.
Born in Singapore, he became the first incumbent Vicar from South East Asia in Sheffield in 1960, and preached at Sheffield Cathedral as recently as 2023.
A Church of England vicar, he settled in Sheffield, where he was at St Augustine’s Church on Brocco Bank, Endcliffe, from 1978 to 1990, after spending a spell working in Birmingham.
Prior to that, Fr Charles had been Vicar of St Bartholomew’s, Sheffield, from 1960 until 1964.
Despite retiring as a vicar through ill health in 1990, Fr Charles continued to live in the Ecclesall area, close to Ecclesall Parish Church, in a house owned by a Church of England trust.
When he was Vicar of St Augustine’s, he also also ran a counselling centre and put up homeless people in the cellar of the vicarage at his own cost.
He was once compared to Gandhi in a newspaper, and once in another report was described as the ‘greatest peace-maker’. A Star front page once reported how he penned a new inclusive version of the national anthem for the Golden Jubilee.
His parish church was the first to have women servers .
Interviewed by The Star four years ago, he was described as a ‘force of nature with a smile on his face’ despite suffering heart problems, a collapsed pancreas, osteoarthritis, diabetes, a damaged kidney and a spinal injury.
He gave away his wealth and acquired income to the poor when he was working, and then retired penniless, to a home belonging to the Church of England Charity.
His Sheffield memories were many and always included people. He once said: “The people are straight here, if they don’t like you they will say so,” he says. “There were people who didn’t want me here but I tried to do good.”
He also recalled an incident in Endcliffe in the 1980s when a bottle wielding thug confronted him, shouting abuse. “He attacked me but I knew some karate and managed to disarm him. The police arrested him and told me he was a member of the National Front,” he recalled.
Born in 1928, Father Charles lived through the Japanese occupation of south-east Asia during which his father was imprisoned, and went on to study in England.
He told The Star in 2023: “I had a very happy time in every parish that I served. I was never interested in accumulating riches or wealth or even any honours.
"So I was brave and always willing to raise my voice publicly against any power that be or unfair legislation.”
"I took the voice of the vulnerable, the poor and the minorities to city councils, Prime Ministers and MPs,” he said.
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"I worked for fairness, equality and human dignity and also for the value of every human life.”
“I hope that I have preached about Jesus without offence to those who uphold other faiths and have encouraged them to see Jesus without fear or prejudice.”
“I know for certain that I have touched many hearts and minds with the love of Jesus and have brought hope and faith in God into their lives, as an unworthy servant. I thank God for his grace and mercy on my life and ministry.”
He leaves two daughters and two granddaughters.