Father de Gex, Assistant Priest at St Michael’s Church – May 2007
Alexander Frederick de Gex, a native of Somerset, was Assistant Priest at St Michael’s Church in Swanmore for 3 years until his death in April 1931.
In all Father de Gex had spent 49 years in the ministry and was 71 years of age when he died. He was educated at Wells College, was ordained in 1882 and was curate of St. John’s Bridgwater until 1886. He held a similar position at Lower Brixham; was then rector of Angersleith, Somerset; and rector of Mershaw, Devon from 1896 to 1924.
In 1904 he was made a Justice of the Peace of Devon.
In 1924 he became a fellow and subwarden of St. Michael’s College, Tenbury, which was founded by Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley, the famous composer. Being a man with a keen appreciation of music he was also deeply interested in Dr Nicholson’s Westminster Abbey School Choir.
Before going to St Michael’s Father de Gex was for four years, from 1924, curate of Holy Trinity Church.
He was also greatly interested in the ‘National Society’ and did a good deal of deputation work, preaching in different parts of the country, for that organisation.
During the seven years Father de Gex spent in Ryde he was held in high esteem by all who knew him. He was a man of fine character, kind and courteous with a pleasantly broad outlook on life. He died in April 1931 following a few weeks of severe bronchial trouble. He left a widow and two children; a girl of 13 and a boy of 9. His elder son John Alexander having died in 1928, of pneumonia after an attack of measles, aged 11 years. Both are buried in the same grave in Ryde Cemetery.
Article based on a report from the Isle of Wight County Press dated Saturday 11th April 1931 – researched by Ann and Les Barrett and written up by Janette Gregson.