Wright
Family Album
Boulton 1921-1923
Previous page
Boulton village and church
Our
time there had its ups and downs. Gordon and Philip went to the
Grammar school in Derby. Elizabeth, Doris and later on, Basil,
went to the Church school. It was grand being all together again
and for the children to really get to know their father. Barbara
was born in April 1922, so it was a busy life in a busy parish.
Two portraits of the family: GWW Hugh Philip Doris Betty Basil Gordon Barbara AMW
A visiting parson makes a Church going people. That was certainly
true when father was vicar of Boulton. Afternoons and evenings he
was out and about in the parish, and the people responded by filling
the Church Sunday by Sunday.
After we had been there some time we found that it was not a very
healthy place. The first spring Doris and Basil went down with
measles. I managed to isolate them, but the others got it the following
year, Elizabeth and Hugh being quite ill after it, Elizabeth with an
infection of the kidneys and Hugh with ear trouble.
Father made time for study in the mornings. He was anxious to get
his B.D. Little did he think that in a very short time he would
be given Honorary D.D. degrees from two Universities, Oxford and Durham.
In the autumn of 1922 a Missionary Exhibition was held in Derby.
Naturally father took part in it and gave a number of talks. I remember
one evening when he came home after giving a talk, he said to me, "How
can I go on appealing for people to go out as missionaries when I am
not going myself?"
We talked and prayed about it and. finally he decided to re-offer to
C.M.S. His letter was acknowledged and he was asked if he would
be willing to go to any part of the mission field. He wrote back
saying "Yes". That was early in the year of 1923 and we heard nothing
further. Weeks and months passed and we came to the conclusion that
C.M.S. thought it would be too much of an expense to engage a
missionary with seven children!
To our great surprise in July, father received a letter from the
Archbishop of Canterbury telling him that C.M.S. had put forward his
name as the next Bishop of Sierra Leone, and invited him to Lambeth
Palace to talk it over. The people in Sierra Leone particularly
wanted a man who was or had been a missionary as their new bishop and
possibly one who had had experience of parish work in England.
Father seemed just the man, the Archbishop said, so would he consent to
undertake this important piece of work.
We had heard something about the problems and difficulties facing the
young Church in Sierra Leone as it was starting its life of
self-support and self government. "The greater the
difficulties the greater the opportunities", was father’s motto, and so
he consented to become their Bishop.
Then the fun began of trying to find a home for me and the children as
it was quite impossible to take the family to Sierra Leone. Too
unhealthy for one thing and no schools for European children.
Our friends, the Kingdons, came to our rescue and found us a house in
Birmingham. Elizabeth was still in hospital in Derby with kidney
trouble. So in October 1923 we went to our new home with Doris, Hugh
and Barbara.
Doris' memories
Back
to
Contents
Britton
Family home page