Granville Gibson (priest)


George Granville Gibson is a retired British Anglican priest and convicted sex offender. He was the Archdeacon of Auckland in the Diocese of Durham from 1993 to 2001.

Early life and education

Gibson was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield and Barnsley College. He was a Mining Surveyor for the NCB from 1952 to 1962; then a Field Officer for Boys' Brigade from 1962 to 1969. He studied for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon.

Ordained ministry

Gibson was a curate at St Paul, Cullercoats from 1971 to 1973. After that he was Team Vicar of Cramlington from 1973 to 1977; Vicar of Newton Aycliffe from 1977 to 1985; and then Rector of Bishopwearmouth from 1985 until his appointment as Auckland. He was Interim Priest at St James the Great, Darlington from 2012 to 2014.

Later life and conviction

Gibson was arrested in April 2014 in relation to historic sexual offences. In August 2016, he was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault, and also "not guilty of one serious sexual offence and four indecent assault charges". He had assaulted two men, who were 18 and 26 at the time of the offences, in the 1970s and 1980s when he was vicar at St Claire's Church, Newton Aycliffe. In October 2016, he was given a 12-month prison sentence.
In 2018, he was further charged with three counts of indecent assault relating to a teenager in the 1970s and a young clergyman in the 1980s. He has denied the charges. The trial began in July 2019 at Teesside Crown Court.

Personal life

In 1958, Gibson married Edna. Together they had four children: three sons and one daughter.