b'A pipe-smoking Rev Stock mows the pitch on the old Show Field surrounded by team matesthat he would have been able to go to DurhamPocklington from 1897 before moving to St Michael le University had it not been for an uncle who lent himBelfry in 1908, and this will no doubt have introduced the money but insisted that it be paid back out of hishim to the parish of Bishop Wilton.meagre stipend as a curate.One story about the Rev. Stock from before his Whilst serving as a curate at what was later totime at Bishop Wilton is recalled by Joan Wises become Sheffield Cathedral, he was taken under thesister, Theodora Webber, who lives in Taunton: wing of Mr William Wild, churchwarden and bank his wife was so fed up with him wearing a tatty manager, who took pity on the penniless curate,old overcoat that she bought him a brand new and invited him home for meals, possibly with a sub plotexpensive coat.After only a few outings he came to enable George to meet his unmarried daughters. back one cold day minus the coat.He had bumped Evidently this did the trick because George wasinto a vagrant and given him his coat.Needless to ultimately to marry Clara Wild.It was a great sadnesssay she was most unimpressed with his Christian to them that they were only able to have one child,charity!which was achieved (after 7 miscarriages) by Clara It was while her husband was serving with the spending most of her confinement in bed. RAF in India that Joans mother, Gladys, lived with her His daughter Gladys (Gem) remembered him aswidowed father and acted as his housekeeper from being a particularly gifted preacher who could speakJoans birth in 1924. This would have covered his time without notes and make the Bible come alive; this isat Bishop Wilton. When asked about the Rev. George corroborated by a newspaper report of his first parishStock after Joans visit to Bishop Wilton, Eileen in Middlesborough where his preaching had attractedHopper said that she used to baby-sit at the vicarage such large crowds that the Archbishop of York offeredat the time so she would have known Joan as a child.him a larger and more important living in the sameRev. Stock was buried at St Leonards Church, town after only 3 months in the post!He was to fill StBurton Leonard, where he had served prior to Bishop Michael le Belfry in York almost 60 years before theWilton and where his wife who died in 1921 was Rev David Watson was to do so famously. buried.George served as vicar and later Rural Dean of230 BULLETIN 13'