Born: 1884 and died 1962.
Son of: Rev Douglas Leopold Heath (1849-1926) and Mary Heath (nee Penkivil, 1848-1918).
Brother of:
1. Rev Douglas Montague Heath (1881-1961) who married Edith Heath (nee Bagnall).
2. Rev Cyril Moore Penkivil Heath (1882-1951) who married Dulcie Heath (nee Sides,1890-1973).
Raymond married:  Vera Heath (nee Greatrex, 1889-1969).
Raymond and Vera had issue:
1. Anthony Greatrex Dunbar Heath (1923-2007) who married Sylvia Heath (nee Wilson, born 1926).
2. Rosemary Heath (born 1928).

Rev Raymond Audley Dunbar Heath: An Overview

We have the following references to Raymond:
1. Entry in the book "Records of the Heath Family Vol 1" by George Heath, 1913. 
2. Entry in the book "Records of the Heath Family Vol 2" by George Heath, 1920.
3. A note written in 2003 by his son Anthony Heath.

Records of the Heath Family Vol 1, page 101, reads as follows:

Raymond Audley Dunbar, born at Bushend Vicarage, Essex, Feb. 26th, 1884.  Home education.
Trained at Ely Theol. Coll.
M.A., St Edmund College, Oxford, 1909.
Ordained Deacon, 1909; Priest, 1912.
Curate of St Mark's, Mansfield, Notts., 1909, an appointment he held till May, 1903, when he took a curacy at Amblecote, Worcs.

Records of the Heath Family Vol 2, page 28, reads as follows:

REV. RAYMOND AUDLEY DUNBAR HEATH

On the outbreak of war, I was finishing my term of office as assistant priest in the parish of Amblecote, Staffordshire, having arranged to become assistant priest at St.Paul's, Worcester, in October. It was during my stay at the latter parish, that the Vicar, (the Rev. Studdert Kennedy) and myself agreed, that one of us ought to serve in some capacity in the Army. Chaplaincies at the time were difficult to obtain, there being a glut of applications and few appointments. The R.A.M.C. seemed to offer an opportunity which a priest might use as the work meant saving life rather than taking it, and one thought there would be opportunities of ministering to men on the field. So I enlisted as a private in the R. A.M.C. in March, 1915. After training as a stretcher bearer, I went out in that capacity, in the 141st Field Ambulance in August, 1915. The first time we went under fire was on September 25th, at the Battle of Loos. We remained in that part of the line for some time. In December, I was transferred to the 9th Field Ambulance, which was then at Estaires, somewhere near the Arrmentieres front. In January, 1916, the Ambulance, which was attached to the 2nd Brigade of the Guards Division, went to Paperinghe, and sections were sent up in reliefs to the Canal Bank at Ypres. Stationary trench warfare was going on there at the time, and periodical bombardments, sniping, and whizz bangs were the order of the day. We remained in that part until July, 1916, when the Division and Ambulances were moved to the Somme. We were in and out of the line at various points for some time until September, when the Guards took part in a push on the -beyond Trones Wood and Delville Wood. It was following up that advance to collect wounded that I got hit. The shell killed three of our squad, one of whom was carrying a stretcher with me, and wounded two besides myself.

I got to Blighty, and after treatment in Hospital, was marked B2, owing to deafness to one ear as the result of shell concussion.

This meant my not returning to France. I then applied for a Chaplaincy, but did not succeed in getting appointed. After five months at the Depot, I was detailed for Hospital ship duty, and sent to the Hospital ship, Jan Breydel, on which I did duty as a ward orderly. We carried wounded from Boulogne, and sometime Calais, to Dover. Thirteen months of this unhealthy life resulted in my getting ill. I was in hospital for 15 weeks, during which time I had an operation on the neck. After being turned out fit again, I managed to avoid another boat, and get on to No.1 Ambulance Train, in September, 1918. We conveyed patients from Southampton to all parts of England. I was on this train until I was demobilised in January, 1919. Immediately I was free, I resumed my work at St. Paul's Worcester, and towards the end of the year was appointed Chaplain to the Berkeley Hospital, Worcester, an office I hold along with my curacy.

A note written in 2003 by his son Anthony Heath reads as follows:
Going back to his time in Oxford, he was a keen rower and rowed as No 2 in 1902, as Stroke in 1903 and again as Stroke in 1905 in the Plumtre Fours.  For those 3 rows, he received pewter tankards, 1/2 pint for 1902 with a lid on it and pints for the other two years.  He was too light to be considered for the Oxford Boat against Cambridge.

He married Vera Constance Clare Greatrex maybe in 1921.  He then bought a house in Hampstead as he had left Worcester and joined the firm of Perkins Bacon & Co, who were stamp producers and engravers.  After three years in Hampstead he bought The Dell, Sawbridge, Hertfordshire, which was an attractive house of about 200 years old on what is now the A11.  From there he commuted to London by train every day.  This went on until the firm went into liquidation in 1936 and Raymond was out of a job.  He did local 'fill-ins' to nearby Parishes when the local Vicar or Curate there was absent for holidays or sickness.  This unhappy time continued until in 1940 he was offered Stondon Massey as Rector.  This was not a good living but at least it was permanent.  The old rectory was uninhabitable so a new house was built.  I remember bicycling there on the day we moved house, during an air raid and at one point had to take refuge in a ditch.

In 1945, Raymond became Vicar of Takeley, a much better living with a big house in good order and a large garden.  There he remained until retiring in 1960 when he returned to The Dell.  He lived for less than a year before dying from a heart attack about 4.30pm from trying to lift a heavy piece of furniture into position in the kitchen.

Raymond was hardly musical as was his wife, but he did play the piano rather badly.  His favourite piece was Beethoven's Moonlight sonata which he played all three movements, but always with mistakes.  The fact that he was deaf in one ear was a distinct disadvantage socially, and as a Parish Priest did not help him become universally liked, unlike his brother Cyril.  As already mentioned he was happiest in his tool shed, making and creating things.  He was also a dab hand at car maintenance, always doing his own servicing.

If you have any information to add to what is listed please contact me on jj@jjhc.info

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