James Holdroyd

Mr Holdroyd, who has died aged 75, was born and brought up in Honley, near Huddersfield. He was the elder of two boys, their father Harold running the family joinery, building and undertaking business – Edward Holdroyd and Sons Ltd – which had been going since 1817.

James went to Cliff House School in Honley, then St David's Prep School in Huddersfield and from there to Bootham's School, York, as a boarder.

Not in the least athletic – if made to play cricket, he doggedly bowled underarm – he earned the nickname "Polly Parrot" because of his ability to recite Latin verbs.

He went to King's College London to study Law, obtaining his LLB there and going on to do his LLM.

Before the course was completed, however, he decided his real interest lay in the Church, and he went to Cuddesdon Theological College, Oxford.

He did his training as a curate in Brighouse.

Ordained priest in 1961, he became curate-in-charge of St Chad's, Hove Edge, Brighouse, was vicar of Staincross, near Barnsley, then a mining community, and afterwards was vicar of Marsden, near Huddersfield, the grand parish church there known as the "Colne Valley Cathedral".

A High Church man, after two-and-a-half years he moved south to St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton. Not having a parish of its own, it serves Anglo-Catholics from round and about, and he remained there for 19 years.

Prompted by a number of issues, including the ordination of women, which he opposed, he took early retirement in 1993, then aged 58, and returned to Honley to look after his ageing parents. His mother, Winifred, died in 1997 aged 92, and his father in 2001, aged 99.

Mr Holdroyd, who never learned to drive, enjoyed cooking, and visitors rarely went away without a jar of his home-made jam.

He lived quietly, occasionally helping out at local churches, and following his father's death, he went back to Brighton where he shared a house with his long-standing friend and fellow Anglo-Catholic, Dorothy Seymour.

A capable pianist with a love of Mozart and liturgical music in general, James Holdroyd was man of strong and settled opinions.

He was known for his forthright sermons – he belonged to the school of clergy who went into the pulpit to preach in no uncertain manner – and he drew congregations which approved of an authoritative voice declaiming the Gospel.

He is survived by his brother, Julian.