The eleventh vicar of St. John’s, Reverend Martin Wells Bull, was inducted on 29th February 1968. The institution was performed by the Right Reverend Michael Parker, Bishop of Bradford. Rev. Bull had become an ordained priest in 1964. Immediately before his appointment at St. John’s, he had been the assistant curate at the United Benefice of All Saints’ Church in Horton, and before that he was assistant curate at Blackley near Manchester.
He arrived with his wife and two children (Priscilla and Timothy), but initially they had to live about a mile away from the church because the old vicarage had been demolished and a new one was still being built.
He inherited a church in much need of repair and his time in post oversaw repairs to the church tower and roof, rewiring and a new lighting system, and work on the churchyard.
Rev. Bull preached his last service at St. John’s on Sunday 9th April 1978. After the service there was a short presentation in which Rev. Bull was presented with a cheque for £210 as a thank you, and his wife was given a vase of flowering plants. He left to become the vicar of All Saints Church in Bingley.
Researched and collated by Tim Neal. Images courtesy of the St. John’s Church archive.
Rev Bull and his wife Angela attend St. Matthews Church in Walsall where their daughter Priscilla attends as her husband Jim Trood is Rector. 13/3/25
I am currently researching the family of William LEACH (1794-1861) of Halifax who was my 3g-grandfather and have reason to believe that Angela Mary BULL nee LEACH the wife of the Rev. Martin Wells BULL was his 2g-grandaughter in which case she would be my fourth cousin once removed and the children shown in the photograph (presumably Timothy and Priscilla) would be my fifth cousins. Any additional data would be most helpful.
With kind regards,