YEOMAN, ALAN RITCHIE (1882-1963)

YEOMAN, ALAN RITCHIE, Anglican rector, Derby and Blackville, 1921-25, and Catholic convert; b. Halifax, 1 Jun 1887, s/o James Yeoman and Elizabeth Finlay MacKay; m. 1916, Louise Archibald, a native of Truro, N.S.; d. 28 Jun 1963.

Alan R. Yeoman was born at his mother's former home in Halifax, but his parents were living in Newcastle, where his father, a native of Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was the manager of the local branch of the Merchants Bank of Halifax. The family remained in Newcastle until his father's early death occurred in 1891.

After graduating from the Halifax County Academy and Dalhousie University (BA 1913) Yeoman enrolled in the General Theological Seminary in New York. Although he was raised in the Presbyterian religion, he had turned to Anglicanism and was ordained a priest of that church in 1915. His first two appointments were as rector at Port Medway and Auburn, N.S., respectively, and while discharging his duties in these parishes, he continued his studies at King's College, Windsor, which granted him an MA in 1917 and a BD in 1920.

In October 1921 Yeoman came to the Miramichi, accompanied by his wife and two young sons, to be rector of Derby and Blackville. At that time the position entailed responsibility for St Peter's Church at Derby, Trinity at Blackville, and St Agnes at Gray Rapids. He stayed until January 1925, when he was appointed rector of St George and Pennfield in Charlotte County. In 1932 he became rector of Sackville and Dorchester. Four years later he resigned and withdrew from the active priesthood.

Yeoman was employed for some eighteen years with stockbrokerage and other businesses in Halifax, during which time he became a convert to Catholicism. In 1954 he received an appointment to the department of English of St Mary's University which he held for the remainder of his life. He was survived in 1963 by his wife, Louise Archibald, and their two sons.