Class Notes:
Concordia
Merchant Taylors’ School
Canon
KeithWeston
CanonKeithWeston,
whohas diedaged86,
was anunusually gifted
preacher, engaging
blue-collar workers and
universitydons alikeas
rector from1964 to 1985
of themedieval church
of St Ebbe’s inOxford.
The parish bordered university
colleges to the north and east, while
also housing some of the neediest
families in the city, with a night
shelter for the homeless. Weston
saw his calling as pastor to all.
Keith Aitken Astley Weston was
born on July 30 1926, the third son of
Sir Arthur Astley Weston, Chief Legal
Adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries, and educated at
Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood.
At the age of 12, at a “Varsity and
Public Schools” camp in Branscombe,
Devon, Keith found the faith that
would transform his life. These
camps promoted the Christian faith
and leadership skills, and influenced
many who would become successful
in the Church, the armed forces and
the professions. Among them was the
Rev John Stott, the rector of All Souls,
Langham Place, and one of the most
celebrated evangelicals in the Anglican
Church; and it was in this tradition that
Weston would find his voice.
From 1944 to 1948 Weston served as
a captain in the Royal Artillery in Italy
and Palestine, and on his return went
up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, to read
French and German. He was active
in the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate
Christian Union (CICCU).
Having trained for the ministry at
Ridley Hall, Cambridge, Weston was
ordained in Bath Abbey in 1953, when
he was 27. After curacies at Weston-
super-Mare and Cheltenham, he was
appointed vicar of Christ Church,
Clevedon, in 1959. From there he moved
to Oxford.
Wherever he served, Weston offered
careful and lively bible teaching, always
applied to contemporary life. Over
the years he was deeply involved in
the work of the annual Keswick Bible
Convention, which draws thousands
to its summer gatherings in the Lake
District; he was its chairman from
1994 to 1997, travelling to expound
the Scriptures at sister conventions
in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin
America and Australia.
While he loved the inter-
denominational work of Keswick
and the Universities and Colleges
