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James Gray Rector of Barwick
Barwicker No24.
December 1991
 |
| Revd. James Gray |
Canon James Gray was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, the eldest of
six children in 1884. He trained for the church at St.Chad's
Theological College in Durham. He married a Yorkshirewoman, Al1ce
Charlesworth, who came from the Sheffield area. During the 1914-
18 war he was disappointed that he could not serve in the army, as
did his younger brothers, but he was persuaded that he was needed
on the 'home front'.
Most of his ministry was spent in Yorkshire, at Featherstone,
Pontefract and Castleford. In 1942 he was appointed to the living
of Barwick-in-Elmet and moved there shortly after the death of his
only son, Richard, who was killed in the battle of El Alamein,
while serving with the Green Howards. Richard was also destined
for the Church and had been at Exeter College, Oxford, when he
joined the army.
Canon Gray succeeded Archdeacon Lovell Clarke at Barwick and and was for some time Rural Dean of Whitkirk.
In 1958, he and his wife retired to a flat in Scarborough.
As he got older his ambition was to live to "be sixteen again" (otherwise 88). He did
not quite achieve this as he died a few days before his 88th. birthday in March 1973.
Whi1e at Barwick, an achievement he was quite proud of, was
that, in the course of each year, he managed to visit every house
in the parish (Barwick and Scholes). This was done on his bicycle,
as he never owned a car.
By nature he was a gentle and quiet man, quite unassuming but
wise and compassionate and well liked by all who knew him.
IRENE VERNON. (Niece of Canon Gray).
Crockford's Clerical Directory completes his biography.
B.A. (2nd class Theology Honour a.) 1908.
M.A. 1913.
Deacon 1908.
Priest 1909
Curate of:
St. Lukes, Maidenhead, 1908-11,
Hemsworth 1911-14,and Purston 1914-17.
Rector of Whitwood Mere 1917-24.
Vicar of Featherstone 1924-35.
Rector of Castleford 1935-42.
Hon. Canon of St. Aelred in Wakefield 1937-42.
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