Past Vicars
REV W GILMORE
Vicar of Illingworth in 1854
(responsible for the building of Christ Church)
REV GEORGE KINNEAR M.A. 1854 - 1862
The Rev Kinnear was the first Vicar of Mount Pellon, and Curate at Illingworth, before coming to Christ Church. He resided at "Beech Hill", a house that would stand somewhere in the vicinity of the present Beech Hill Junior and Infants' School. He would probably have to travel by horse and carriage to officiate at Pellon, for the building of the first vicarage adjacent to the church did not take place until 1864. Mr Kinnear was married to Harriet, the daughter of Jonathan Akroyd Esq, of Bankfield, the brother of Colonel Akroyd. They had one son, who died when he was eight years old, a memorial to him can be seen on the Chancel Wall. The death of children was fairly common at this time, as can be seen when one inspects the burial register. On every page can be seen the death of children and young people. Death was no stranger to most families, and must have caused much unhappiness. His vicariate was a short one, as he suffered from ill health, but he continued his ministrations until 1859 when his health failed and he was eventually forced to retire. He then went to live in Torquay where he died shortly afterwards. His remains rest in Akroyd's family vault in Akroyden Cemetery.
REV BENJAMIN TOWN 1862 - 1900
Mr Town acted as Locum Tenens to Mr Kinnear from 1859 - 1862 and was eventually offered the living by Archdeacon Musgrave. Mr Town was said to have had a stubborn character but he enjoyed popularity among a large section of the parishioners. He died at Southport, January 11th 1903, aged 75 years.
THE REV CECIL SAMUEL QUAINTON M.A. 1900 - 1909
Mr Quainton arrived in Pellon with his wife in 1899 and acted as Locum Tenens to Mr Town. When Mr Town resigned, he was offered the living by Archdeacon Brooke. He earned on a vigorous ministry at Pellon, left to become Vicar of Holmfirth February 20th 1909, and eventually became Dean of British Columbia.
THE REV CAMPBELL R HONE M.A. 1909 - 1916
Bishop of Pontefract 1931 - 1938; Bishop of Wakefield 1938 - 1945
Mr Hone came to Mount Pellon as Vicar in 1909, His three sisters, Miss Eva, Miss Sophie and Miss Muriel Hone, kept house for him in their turn, and from the records this period seems to have been a very happy time. Mr Hone married Miss Maud Weaver on New Year's Day, 1914, at Hampstead Heath. The parish gave them a wedding present of a Grandfather clock, and in turn Mr and Mrs Hone presented to the church a new oak altar table; their initials can be seen carved on the front of the table, underneath the altar frontal. The Rev Hone became Bishop of Wakefield in 1938 and died in 1967. Pellon parish subscribed to a memorial tablet that was placed in the Cathedral Church of Wakefield in 1968.
THE REV GEORGE AUGUSTUS VIVIAN FLOWER M.A. 1916 - 1921
Before coming to Pellon, Mr Flower was a curate at Rastrick and Halifax Parish Church, and was Vicar of Greetland for six years. Mr Flower's interest in Pellon Church dates back almost to the beginning of the 20th century, as the Rev Quainton and he were close friends.
THE REV DOUGLAS WALKER SCOTT M.A. 1921 - 1936
Mr Scott was licensed to Pellon on July 30th, 1921 by the Archdeacon Harvey (the Bishop of Wakefield could not come because of his brother's death). He was curate of St George's, Ovenden, from 1911 - 1916; it was during the First World War that he had temporary charge of St Jude's for a short period. It was during My Scott's time, 1932, that the church was wired for electricity. Up to then the church had been illuminated by ornamental gas brackets. Mr Scott left Pellon to become Vicar of Sowerby Bridge, with Norland, and also became assistant Rural Dean of Halifax. When he left Pellon in 1936 the chaplaincy of the Barracks of Highroad Well (now Wellesley Park) was transferred to St Hilda's although the Barracks was in the Parish of Mount Pellon. Mr and Mrs Scott had two children, both born whilst at Pellon.
THE REV REGINALD GILBERT CLARKE M.A. 1936 - 1945
In 1936 Mr Clarke came to Pellon as Vicar with his mother, a most dignified little lady, who quickly won the affection and respect of the parish. Mr Clarke's ministry at Pellon was over-shadowed by the Second World War. It was an anxious and difficult one, evensong had to be held in the afternoon owing to the blackout. Mr Clarke became an air raid warden and organised a scheme within the parish where women in the Auxiliary Territorial Service at the Barracks were entertained at people's homes. Mr Clarke married in 1940, and on December 26th, 1943, his mother died, and in her memory Mr Clarke gave two altar candlesticks to the church. He left Pellon in 1945 to become Vicar of St Peter's, Sowerby. Canon Clarke returned to Pellon for the church's 115th Dedication Festival Service in 1969, and again in September, 1978, to preach at the Ordination Service of Mr Makin, a former pupil of Canon Clarkes.
THE REV JOSEPH WILLIAM GRAY L.Th. 1945 - 1967
Mr Gray served in the First World War in the R.A.M.C. and was in France two and a half years. In 1920 he joined the Church Army and had three years at the Chantry Chapel on the bridge at Wakefield. It was through this work at the Chantry Chapel that he met Mrs Gray and subsequently Mrs Gray joined the Church Army and she served for three years. In 1926 Mr Gray entered St Aidan's Theological College, Birkenhead, from which he was granted a Licentiate of Theology. He was ordained Deacon in 1930 in Wakefield Cathedral in the same year he was married, and they had one son who was born in 1934. He came to Mount Pellon on the 14th December 1945. Mr Gray had during his ministry at Pellon the assistance of a number of Curates namely: 1946 - 1948 the Rev J Hoban, 1948 - 1951 the Rev E Simpson, 1952 - 1955 the Rev J W Pumphrey, 1958 - 1959 a Captain Goode from the Church Army, and also the Rev G Inman from 1960 - 62. These helped to lighten the burden for Mr Gray, who for some time had been suffering from ill health. All the Curates lived at 33 North View during their work at Pellon, a house belonging at that time to the Church. Mr and Mrs Gray left the Parish for retirement in the village of Cawthorne, near Barnsley in January 1967.
THE REV ARNOLD WOOD 1967 - 1973
Mr Wood was a native of Sowerby Bridge and before coming to Halifax was Curate at Kirkheaton, Huddersfield. Educated at Holy Trinity School, Halifax, Mr Wood was formerly a chorister for 12 years at the Halifax Parish Church. He was also at one time connected with St Peter's Church, Sowerby. After leaving school he was trained in law and then he entered the army, holding the rank of Major in the R.A.S.C. He served in Palestine for two years and the Sudan, commanding a Sudanese transport company. Leaving the Army in 1949 he joined the family business. In 1963 he went to Clifton Theological College, Bristol, and was ordained at Wakefield in 1965. Mr and Mrs Wood enjoyed a happy stay at Pellon and made many friends. Mr Wood left for a living in Cornwall where he held the position of Rural Dean of West Wivelshire, in the Diocese of Truro, Cornwall.
THE REV A J FOSTER M.A. 1974 - 1992
The arrival of Antony John Foster and his wife Juliet, and their three children Stephen, Helen and Sara, was eagerly awaited at Pellon, not least by the Churchwardens in office at the time, Mr Makin and Mr Walton, who were certainly not relishing a lengthy interregnum following the surprise departure of Mr and Mrs Wood for Cornwall. The Foster family came to Pellon from Uganda where the Rev Foster was chaplain of Teso College in the Diocese of Soroti. Before serving in the mission field he was an assistant curate at Sandal Magna. Mr Foster was a graduate of Cambridge University and received his theological education at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He was instituted and inducted to the benefice of Christ Church on the 5th February 1974 by the Bishop of Wakefield, Eric Treacy. The Fosters soon settled down to play their part in the fellowship at Christ Church, Mount Pellon. Mrs Foster was also a graduate, taking a degree at Girton College, Cambridge, in natural sciences, and in December 1977 was made a JP.
THE REV HUBERT MAKIN B.A., A.C.P.
Mr Makin was baptised, confirmed, married and ordained at Pellon. Mr Makin was ordained on the 24th September 1978 by the Bishop of Pontefract, Richard Hare, in response to a calling that had been niggling at the back of his mind for many years. Up to tie age of 57 Mr Makin had been head of science at J H Whitley School, Holmfield for 23 years. Before the war he trained to become a compositor and when the war broke out he joined the Navy and became a Wireless Operator. He was a member of the Boy Scouts' Association for 53 years; a licensed reader for 15 years; a great believer in learning new things. By the time he was ordained Mr Makin had nine years of study behind him: a three years theology course, four years at Open University where he gained his B.A. and two years' study to become a lay reader. He also gave many years' service to the Samaritans. It was the late Dr Eric Treacy and former Bishop of Wakefield who sponsored him, and his application was accepted by the General Synod to the Auxiliary Pastoral Ministry of the Church of England.
Churchwarden of Mount Pellon for 20 years
Licensed Reader 1963 - 1978
First Non Stipendiary in the Deanery of Halifax
Ordained Priest in Wakefield in 1979
THE REV TIMOTHY MAYFIELD 1992 - 2003
Originating from Burton on Trent with a church upbringing, courtesy of his parents Tim's first connection with Yorkshire was a 2 week Evangelistic Mission to Huddersfield in September 1982. This led to two year's full time lay church work at St. James's, Rawthorpe in Huddersfield, and it was during this period he received the calling to Ordained Ministry.
On completion of academic and theological studies at Trinity College, Bristol, Tim moved back to Yorkshire to be curate of St George's Ovenden, along with his wife Sue, who was also to take a very supportive role in Tim's ministry. It was at this time that Tim was able to pursue sporting ambitions and was a well respected member of Halifax RUFC for several years in which time he probably forgave as many sins on a Saturday as on a Sunday.
The interregnum at Pellon in 1992 gave Tim the opportunity for his first incumbency and he was instituted in September 1992 by Nigel Bishop of Wakefield. There followed ten years of successful Christian stewardship during which he was the prime mover, with vision and God's help, to create the upstairs Bam and Tower Room. He also acted as mentor during this period to several curates, who will took back to his guidance and leadership as they now minister their own Parishes.
In 2003 Tim felt that God was calling him to move on, leaving behind a thriving church in Pellon and he was duly installed as the Vicar of Christ Church, Cheltenham in September 2003.