Humphrey Mildred (1934–2023), A Tribute

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Humphrey Mildred on 31 December 2023. In 1999, when I started with the Banner of Truth in Edinburgh, Humphrey was the longest serving employee of the Trust, and the last remaining member of staff who had been with the Banner in London before the move to Edinburgh in the early 1970s. To say that he knew the work of the Banner well would be an understatement, and he was a great help in those early days of my time with Banner in getting to know how things worked. At a personal level, he was also an encourager, and I well remember occasional talks with him on lunchtime walks.

In the late 1950s Humphrey was a student at London Bible College, a reader of the early Banner of Truth Magazine, and someone who was both influenced by and came to love Puritan writings. Like a number of students, Humphrey volunteered his spare time to work at the Banner of Truth in Chiltern Street. Following on from his student days, he then became a full-time employee of the Trust.

I recently came across a note from one of my predecessors who was assessing the staff at that time and passed the comment that there were times when perhaps more work could be done if there was a little less theological discussion! Humphrey was one of that early group of employees who were excited by and dedicated to the rediscovery of the Reformed faith that was taking place.

Over the years, Humphrey was involved in many aspects of the work of the Trust. He was influential in developing contacts in the USA, which eventually led to the formation of the Banner of Truth organisation and building of offices and warehouse in Carlisle, PA. But perhaps the thing that he was most influential in was his exacting standards when it came to book production. Today, we aim to produce books that are known for the quality of their content, but also books that are known for the quality of their production; books that by their physical appearance and construction speak well of the high value that we place on their contents. Humphrey set himself to attain production standards that it has been said were ‘unrivalled in the book world’. Those standards that Humphrey set are still part of the Banner of Truth Trust DNA today.

When the Banner of Truth moved to Edinburgh in 1972, Humphrey moved too. And the move was to bring more change to the life of Humphrey. Known in the office as a ‘confirmed bachelor’ he found his heart won over by a young lady, and Humphrey and Ruth were married and in time God blessed their marriage with four children.

Humphrey also became one of many men who have worked at the Banner, and then gone on into the ministry. Initially, he was called as the part-time pastor of Bellevue Reformed Baptist church in Edinburgh, before going full-time after his retirement from the Banner of Truth in Oct/Nov 1999.

In time, Humphrey was to leave Edinburgh and move back South to England and while the inevitability of passing time and geographic distance meant that in recent years our contacts with him were much reduced, we are grateful to him for his contributions to the work of the Trust during his 40 years or so of service, and the memories that we have.

It was a pleasure to have worked with him and a privilege to have known him, and while sympathising with his family in their loss, we are also rejoicing with them in the knowledge that Humphrey is now in the presence of his Saviour, whose gospel he did so much to promote during his years of life here on earth.