▶Date of birth:  2 July 1889      Place of birth: Marylebone, London

▶Father:  William Grist     Mother: Ellen

▶Spouse(s): Muriel Ward Wilson     Date(s) of marriage: 1 September 1914      Place(s) of marriage: St John’s Church, Ealing

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Anglican)

▶Lifestory: The Revd. William Grist spent seven years as Perpetual Curate of Holy Trinity Church in Cheltenham; he moved off to other parishes but returned to Cheltenham in his retirement. He was the only son of William Grist, lodging-house keeper, and his wife Ellen. The family lived at 10 York Street, Portman Square, Marylebone. Grist attended Christ’s College, Cambridge BA 1912, MA 1916; he trained for the priesthood at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and was ordained Deacon in 1912, and Priest (both London) in 1913.

He held his first post in the Anglican Church when licensed Curate of St John’s Church in West Ealing 1912-14. In 1914 he became Curate of Emmanuel Chapel, Wimbledon 1914-17. Later that year, when he lived at 11 Compton Road, Wimbledon, he married Muriel Ward, elder daughter of Ralph Graham Ward Wilson Esq., of Fairlight, Uxbridge Road, Ealing. He was then appointed Vicar of Copthorne in Sussex 1917-20, where his daughter Muriel was born in 1920, before he moved as Rector to St Silas’s Church, Glasgow 1920-21.

After a brief spell as Curate of Sevenoaks 1921-22 he was again appointed Vicar, at All Saints’, Upper Holloway, Islington 1922-5 and in 1925 moved to become Perpetual Curate of Holy Trinity, Cheltenham until 1932; while he was staying in Cheltenham he resided between 1926 and 1932 at the Holy Trinity Vicarage (now reverted to Camden House), Clarence Square.

He then moved again, as Rector of St Mary’s, Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, Dorset 1932-6 and then transferred as Vicar to Holy Trinity Church, Tunbridge Wells 1936-9. The Second World War saw him as Vicar of St Philip’s and St James’s, Ilfracombe 1939-44, followed by five years as Vicar of Holy Trinity, Worthing 1944-9. Remaining on the south coast he was appointed Minister of Christ Church conventional district, Westbourne, Bournemouth 1949-54, before finally assuming the role of Rector of All Cannings with Etchilampton, near Devizes, Wiltshire from 1954.

The Revd. William Grist lived latterly at Lintridge, Libertus Road, Cheltenham, and died at the Imperial Nursing Home in Cheltenham in late 1958; his wife died five weeks later. His wealth at death was valued at just over £23,330.

▶Moved to Pittville from:  Upper Holloway      Moved from Pittville to: Melcombe Regis, Weymouth

▶Date of death:  4Q 1958      Place of death:  Cheltenham

▶Date of burial:         Place of burial:

▶Notes: His photo in Worthing Gazette, 24 May 1944 (very dark online)   ID: 14654

Contributor(s):  John Simpson/Alan Munden