Richard Backwell
Richard Backwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 20, 1914 Southsea, Portsmouth, England |
| Died | October 4, 1972 |
| NSA member | British Isles 1947 - 1955 1963 - 1968 |
| ABM | Europe 1968 - 1969 |
Richard "Dick" Backwell (October 20, 1914 - October 4, 1972) was an English Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of British Isles and the Auxiliary Board for Europe. He also pioneered to British Guiana in the 1950's.
Biography[edit]
Backwell was born in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1914 an he spent his childhood on the Isle of Wight. After completing his early education at Charterhouse School he enrolled in a degree studying the Classics at King's College, Cambridge and became friends with John Ferraby while studying.[1]
In 1938 Backwell left academia and began working in colonial administration being appointed as a District Officer for Sarawak. He worked in Sarawak until 1942 when he returned to England and joined the Royal Air Force. He reconnected with John Ferraby after returning to England, who by this time had become a Bahá’í, and attended some Bahá’í meetings before being deployed to Ceylon later the same year. He was given the contact details of the National Spiritual Assembly of India & Burma and continued to study the religion and correspond with Bahá’ís after arriving in Ceylon and he declared in 1944. He visited Bahá’ís in India while returning to Britain after the end of the Second World War in 1945.[1]
Backwell was an active member of the British Bahá’í community after arriving back in England and from 1946 to 1950 he primarily dedicated himself to serving the community spending brief periods pioneering in Nottingham where he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly and completed a diploma in Adult Education, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. In addition to his pioneer service he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles in 1947 and served until 1955, often as treasurer, and he also served on the National Assembly Development Committee, and as the manager of the British Bahá’í Publishing Trust.[1]
In 1951 Backwell married fellow Bahá’í Via Johnston in Leeds and settled in the city until 1955 when they pioneered to British Guiana where Backwell secured employment managing a sugar company and he undertook efforts to improve working conditions as manager. He and his wife helped to develop the Bahá’í community helping to establish and incorporate the Local Spiritual Assembly of Georgetown and supporting teaching efforts in British Guiana, French Guiana, and Surinam.[2]
In 1961 Backwell and his wife, who now had three children, returned to England settling in Liverpool where they helped consoliate the local Bahá’í community. In 1963 they pioneered to Bangor in Northern Ireland then the Larne Rural District where they helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly. Backwell was re-elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles in 1963 and served until 1968 when he was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Europe and assigned jurisdiction over Ireland and Scotland.[2]
In 1969 Backwell retired from the Auxiliary Board as he was experiencing severe illness. He had surgery which temporarily resolved his health condition but he it returned after a short time and he became increasingly debilitated. Despite his illness he was able to participate in the first Bahá’í Summer School of Scotland held in St. Andrew's in 1971.[2]
In 1972 Backwell passed away. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
GRIEF PASSING EARLY AGE RICHARD BACKWELL GREATLY ASSUAGED TERMINATION HIS SUFFERING CONTEMPLATION DISTINGUISHED RECORD SERVICE SOUTH AMERICA BRITISH ISLES SPIRITUAL RADIANCE EVENING EARTHLY LIFE STOP EXTEND FAMILY FRIENDS LOVING SYMPATHY ASSURANCE ARDENT PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM THIS OUTSTANDING BELIEVER[3]
Publications[edit]
Books[edit]
- 1972 - The Christianity of Jesus[4]
Compilations[edit]
- 1948 - The Pattern of Bahá’í Life
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 525. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 526. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 527. View as PDF.
- ↑ Collins, W. P. (1990). Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths 1844-1985. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-315-1., p 45
