John McIvor
Priest and family man
J
ohn McIvor came to live in the Dartmoor village of Lee Moor 47 years ago - yet you can still detect an unmistakeable trace of northern accent as he chats. Born in West Hartlepool in 1932, with the outbreak of the Second World War, John and his sisters moved to the West Riding for safety - West Hartlepool having been badly damaged during the First World War. As a merchant seaman, his father first went to sea when he was only 14. In those days, time spent away could mean literally years, not just weeks. ‘My dad had been round the world twice by the time Brought up a Roman Catholic, he was 17,’ said John. ‘They used to do what was called John’s faith has been steadfast throughout his life. He tramping - you never knew when they were going to was confirmed into the Church of England when he was be back, or what would come back with them. I can 17 and following his marriage, after seven years tuition, remember having a monkey as a pet - you’d be hung, became a licensed reader in the parish of Cowling in drawn and quartered if you did that now!’ 1967. John was ordained priest by Bishop Robert Mercer John can recall his school days in West Hartlepool CR of the traditional Anglican Communion in 2000. vividly: ‘I remember crying and saying to my Mum: “I He freely admits to being vehemently opposed to the want to go to school without shoes, why can’t I be like ordination of women for many years - but his views have the other children?” There were kids there who only now changed: ‘I can’t see wore shoes on a Sunday I’d say around 50 percent I can’t see the God I worship making a the God I worship making a difference between men of the children at that difference between men and women. There and women. There were time went to school with were women priests in the very, very early women priests in the very, bare feet - my greatgrandchildren can’t church - I think it was the church of Rome very early church - I think it was the church of Rome comprehend this!’ that suppressed it. I suppose I just used to that suppressed it. I suppose After John left school, be a male chauvinist pig! I just used to be a male he became an apprentice chauvinist pig!’ at T&N Baistow, John remembers his first impression of Lee Moor was worsted spinners and manufacturers, becoming a that everyone knew everyone else: ‘First day, there spinning overlooker: ‘In those days you only became an was a knock on the door - it was Freddie Bowden. He overlooker if you were a rotten sod,’ he grinned. said: “Mother sent this”. There was a bag of potatoes, At that time the woollen industry was still important carrots, turnips - all vegetables he’d grown himself. Every in the UK - wool sorters in the 1950s were earning the week he’d arrive with his veg, for four or five weeks, until princely sum of £20 a week. John remembered the ‘sudponds’ created from washing the wool, when the top the one day when he said: “Now it’s time to till your own!” There were very, very kind people in the village.’ layer of grease and fat was sold to Max Factor for use in One of John’s roles was to give talks to local groups and cosmetics. But by the 1970s, the industry had started to schools about the china clay industry that was such an decline and John was made redundant from the mill. integral part of Lee Moor village. ‘We had one funny In 1973, he successfully applied for a job as a incident, we were telling these schoolchildren about the stipendiary reader and welfare officer for English China clay and how valuable it was - we meant in terms of the Clays. The family - he and wife Betty have two sons, economy - and there was one lad lagging behind the Peter and Graham - moved to what was known as the Church House in Lee Moor and John started work in the group that could hardly walk - he’d filled his pockets with it!’ April of that year.
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