Brierley, John M.A.

Brierley, John M.A.

Vicar of Greatham in County Durham and, like his predecessors could only come to Saint Faith`s as Priest in Charge. He steadily built upon the patterns established by those predecessors and congregations increased but there was still antagonism against the Anglo-Catholic movement. Somehow Canon Brierley got word that a group of �Orangemen� planned to disrupt one of his services and he organised all sidesmen and every possible male member of the congregation to be present and accompany the

�Orangemen� into church in order to effectively separate them from each other. The group demonstration was stifled and the protest rather muted. Although he was a kind and honest man he was also autocratic and a priest of the old school. However, within Saint Faith`s he was much loved and turned a struggling, weakened parish into one with a distinctive identity and witness. His final service was on 29 November 1935 when he left to become Rector of Wolverhampton.