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Comments, complaints, broken links, disappointed hopes - please contact the caretaker. 31/07/2009 |
Rev W.P. McFerran - ‘Mac’ A Personal Reminiscence [Picture] [Return to Curates page] [History index] [A history of St Albans] It was in 1920 during the headmastership of Mr C R
Skrimshire that a Mr W P McFerran BA was appointed to teach geography at Retford
Grammar School. For the next 37 years or so Mr McFerran (‘Mac’) was to connect intimately with the inhabitants of Retford, - mentor to thousands of schoolboys who passed through his hands, spiritual leader in years to come of Christians in South Retford, lively and engaging companion in various hostelries in the town. My first contacts with him were in 1934.
First in the September when I started at the Grammar School as a day boy
and secondly in the same month when I became a probationer choirboy at St
Albans. (Little did I realise that
as a reader, twenty years later, I would be singing the office for him while he
gave absolution, preached and gave the final blessing at Evensong.) Of my years at the Grammar School (1934-39) I remember him
particularly well since I was also a member of his house (Edward).
By that time he had become deputy Head of the school and was a very
strict disciplinarian. He had his mellow side too, as secretary of the Old
Retfordians’ Association reported in 1990.
Referring to the Association’s annual dinners, he said, “The
after-dinner speakers tend to recall the eccentricities of their former masters
such as ‘Mac’ – Revd. W P McFerran (quoting from a recent President:
‘I never met a violent vicar before!’) who is well- remembered for
his classroom tales of ‘Traddles’ and fantastic voyages in hot air balloons,
and his consequently sparing references to geography.” He came to Retford in 1920 as plain Mr McFerran but in the
20’s, when already a licensed Lay Reader in the parish, he was ordained Deacon
at Southwell Minster on December 18th 1927.
From then on, until he left in 1957 to become incumbent of the living of
Cardington, Salop, he helped serve the parish’s spiritual needs at All
Hallows, St Albans and St Mary’s on the Allison estate.
Perhaps some of your older readers may recall some of his colleagues on
the Parish staff in those years: - Bernard Hughes and Frank Jarvis (pre-war),
John Spencer and Francis Calthrop (war-time) John (?) Lee and Billie James
(post-war). All these and the
Rectors he served under (R F Wilkinson, J A
Ramsbotham, R Foskett and CHB Watson) help further His Kingdom in their
own distinctive ways in South Retford. As far as his teaching commitments and his responsibilities
at the Grammar School allowed he was pastorally minded too as I know from visits
he carried out in various houses in the parish.
I can speak from personal experience as my wife had a particularly
difficult time after the birth of our son.
‘Mac’ was a great comfort to her and she was always grateful to him.
I met him in the street one day at this particular time in our lives.
I was feeling thoroughly miserable and full of self-pity.
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and think about your wife” he said
“having a baby’s not like having a bloody tooth out, you know”
That brought me back to reality straightaway. Throughout all this time, hw was ably and lovingly
supported by his wife. For her part
it was her leadership of the Mothers Union and Women’s Fellowship that assured
their success over a long period. For many years they lived at the house, now the Hollies Nursing Home, on London Road where they raised a family of two daughters, Sheila and Fiona and a son Dermot. Irascible and lovable and larger than life, that was ‘Mac’. I’m glad I had the opportunity of knowing him. Ted Skelton. [Picture] [Return to Curates page] [History index] [A history of St Albans] |
