PARSON’S MEMORIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1939, Page 2

PARSON’S MEMORIES

SCHOOLBOY IN 1852. LONDON, February 1. The oldest, of all the old Westminster schoolboys, and claiming to be the oldest, public schoolboy alive, is the Rev. Frederic Willett, now in his 101st year. He entered Westminster in 1852, which was pre-Crimean win-. Big Ben had not. then been built. “When 1 was 19." ho said, "I saw a very old man in bed. That, man remembered a relative who saw Charles If. 1 remember, too, shaking hands with. Madame Bonaparte, the. sister-in-law of Napoleon. That was in America.” For years ho was Vicar of West Bromwich, lie resigned there in 1881 because of failing health ami went into retirement.. Soon afterwards he inherited property in Sussex and he took charge of Scaynes Hill Mission Church for 25 years without receiving any stipend. Because there was an inn on his estate, in which he placed a manager to run the business on reformed lines, Mr. Willett gained the nickname of the ‘‘Publican Parson." His last sermon was delivered at Undlicld, when he was .95; it was at an Armistice service attended by members of the British Legion. He then spoke without notes for a quarter of an hour.