The Revd Canon Ralph Mayland, former Treasurer of York Minster, died on the 27th April.
Born in 1927 in Leeds, Ralph completed training for ordained ministry at Ripon Hall Oxford in 1957, and was ordained Deacon in 1959 and Priest in 1960. Ralph also married Jean in 1959; they were blessed with two daughters, Sarah and Alex, and three granddaughters, Lauren, Rachel and Isabel.
Ralph served a first Curacy in Lambeth from 1959 to 1962, before moving north to serve as Curate in Charge of St Paul Manton in Worksop from 1962 to 1968.
In tandem with his parish work, Ralph enlisted as a Padre with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1961, a role in which he would ultimately serve for 33 years, before finally ‘going ashore’ in 1994. His service was recognised by the award of the RNVR VRD (Volunteer Reserve Decoration) in 1962, to which a bar was later added in 1972.
Moving to the Diocese of Sheffield in 1968, Ralph served as Vicar of St Margaret, Brightside from 1968 to 1972, and subsequently as Vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Ecclesfield from 1972 to 1982. Throughout the period from 1968 to 1982, Ralph also served as an Industrial Chaplain with the Sheffield Industrial Mission.
In 1982, Ralph was appointed Canon Residentiary and Canon Treasurer of York Minster. The early years of his cathedral ministry soon became a literal ‘baptism of fire’ in July 1984 when, as Canon Treasurer, Ralph had a lead role at the forefront of the team organising the complex and demanding work required to achieve the successful post-fire restoration and repair of the Minster’s South Transept.
As Canon Treasurer Ralph served on York Minster’s governing body from 1982 until 1994, and is warmly remembered as a charismatic and enthusiastic priest and friend to many. He remained characteristically active in ministry as Honorary Curate at St Brandon, Brancepeth, in the Diocese of Durham from 1994 to 1996.
Ralph and Jean retired to Hexham, where visitors were always well received and entertained in a living room that was full of mementos of a full and busy life in the church and the Navy, each item with its own story. Following a period of severe ill health in mid-2019, Ralph moved into a nursing home. He died peacefully in Cramlington Hospital on Monday evening. He was 93.
- Ralph’s funeral service will be held at Mountsett Crematorium at 1.15pm on Thursday 14 May and will be taken by The Revd Canon Chris Simmons, York Minster Canon Emeritus.
The current public health movement restrictions will sadly prevent many who would wish to be present from attending Ralph’s funeral.
A service of thanksgiving for Ralph’s life and ministry will be held at York Minster in due course, as and when we can all gather together in worship again, and full details of the time and date of the service will be circulated well in advance.