HUGHES, HUGH PRICE ), British Noncon f ormist divine, was born at Carmarthen on Feb. 8, 1847, the son of a surgeon. He established in 1887 the West London mission, holding popular services on Sunday in St. James's hall, Piccadilly, when he preached from time to time on the housing of the poor, sweating, gambling and other subjects of social inter est. In connection with this mission he founded a sisterhood to forward the social side of the work, which was presided over by Mrs. Hughes. He had started in 1885 the Methodist Times, and rapidly made it a leading organ of Nonconformist opinion. He was a born fighter, and carried the fire and eloquence he showed on the platform and in the pulpit into journalism. He supported W. T. Stead in 1885, as he had earlier supported Mrs. Josephine Butler in a similar cause; he attacked the trade in alcohol; was an anti-vivisectionist; he advocated arbitration; and his vehe ment attacks on Sir Charles Dilke and Charles Stewart Parnell originated the phrase the "Nonconformist conscience." He dif fered strongly from a large section of Nonconformist opinion in his defence of the South African War. In 1898 he was presi dent of the Wesleyan Conference. His energies were largely devoted to co-operation among the various Nonconformist bodies, and he was one of the founders and most energetic members of the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches. He died in London on Nov. 17, 1902.
See his Life (1904) by his daughter, Dorothea Price Hughes.