Jack Cecil Bytheway 1902-1982

 

Jack Cecil Bytheway b.30 April 1902 Glasgow, Scotland. d.13 April 1982 York, England. m. Phyllis Lee 18 December 1937 Lagos, Nigeria.

 

Career.

 

Jack Cecil Bytheway was a graduate of Agricultural College, Glasgow and spent several careers covering 38 years (1922 - 1959) in the tropics: Demarara sugar planting from where he travelled into the forest interior of British Guiana now Guyana. Later in Nigeria helped pioneer produce inspection for export, travelling by means of an outboard-motored dug-out canoe from Onitsha and covering some 500 miles of the middle reaches and mangroved delta of the river Niger; During World War II responsible for the pyramid storage of bagged ground nuts at Kano, then later the production of fresh milk "save the babies" from cows housed under netting protection from the dreaded tetse fly in a huge byre on the outskirts of Lagos, and the export of citrus fruits for the government. Whilst in Nigeria he married Phyllis LEE from York.

After 4 years of retirement he was re-called to Nigeria to train African civil servants in the marketing and exporting of grapefruits and lemons prior to independence.

 

 

Jack sent a number of letters back to his family whilst he was stationed overseas.

 

Click here to see an index. 

 

Christian Faith.

 

It was during this period many events combined to turn his life - now into the fifties (54) - upside down; these included the death of son Ian and the hospitalisation of Phyllis but culminating in baptism by the Holy Spirit whilst praying to our Lord Jesus Christ for help in his difficulties. Converted to the Christian faith he returned to York and threw himself into service to the community and the church. Baptised by the witness & outward sign of water and mark of the Cross at the hands of the Vicar of Heworth, York, he started the Sunday School which eventually grew to be dedicated a church of York, Christ Church' Stockton Lane and as first warden at dedication had the honour of opening the door of it and welcoming the Archbishop of York, Dr Donald Coggan.

 

 

For eight years at this time he was secretary to the York Spastics Group, retiring from this at 65 to devote his energies to the church.

 

Read a Church Magazine Article about Jack Bytheway.

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