▶Date of birth:  10 December 1908        Place of birth:  Bristol

▶Father:  Harold Ernest Hallett       Mother: Kate Thomas

▶Spouse(s): Catherine Mary Putt     Date(s) of marriage:  October 1940     Place(s) of marriage:  Weston-super-Mare

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Anglican)

▶Lifestory: Denis (also Dennis) Harold Hallett was another clergyman whose first appointment was in Cheltenham. He was born in Bristol in 1908, the eldest son of Harold Ernest Hallett, a Director of the Bristol company trading in wines and spirits, and his wife Kate (née Thomas). Hallett was educated at Clifton College, and trained at the London College of Divinity in 1927, after which he attended St John’s College, Durham, Licentiate in Theology 1930, BA 1931. He was ordained Deacon in 1931, and Priest (both Gloucester) in 1932.

Hallett’s first post was as Curate of St Paul’s, Cheltenham 1931-5, where he worked under Revd. W. R. Bellerby; while he was in Cheltenham he lived at 16 Pittville Parade (now 32 Evesham Road) 1932-4. He developed the reputation of someone “who gets things done”, and was particularly involved in youth work; in 1935 he was appointed a Foundation Manager of St Paul’s Girls’ and Infants’ School.

In 1935, by then Senior Curate at St Paul’s, he left Cheltenham to become Senior Curate and Precentor of Chelmsford Cathedral (the parish church in the diocese of Bishop H. A. Wilson, former Rector of Cheltenham), returning to Gloucestershire in 1938 as Vicar of St Catherine, Gloucester, where he remained until 1951; during his time in Gloucester he also served as Chaplain to the RAFVR 1942-6. In 1940 he married Catherine Mary, daughter of the Revd. W. P. Putt, of Allerton, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Ten years later, in 1950, he was appointed Vicar of St Mary’s, Lydney with Aylburton, where he remained until 1961. In this year Hallett took up his appointment as Vicar of St Barnabas, Addison Road, Kensington, but held only a short ministry, as he died at the West London Hospital, Hammersmith in 1962, at the age of fifty-four; his wealth at death was sworn at just over £9,750.

▶Moved to Pittville from:  Durham      Moved from Pittville to: Chelmsford

▶Date of death:   5 October 1962     Place of death: West London Hospital, Hammersmith

▶Date of burial:   11 October 1962      Place of burial: Lydney, Gloucestershire

▶Notes:  Gloucestershire Echo 24 October 1950      ID: 17208

Contributor(s):  John Simpson/Alan Munden