John Rayne-Davis

John started writing in the 1980s and had his first book “The Valley of God” published in 1996. Since then he has had 8 further books published which are “Prayers for a new Baby” “Margaret Clitherow Saint of York” “Walsingham Prayers and Reflections”“Walsingham England’s National Shrine of Our Lady” “The Heritage of Catholic York” and with his wife Wendy “Robert Aske the man who could have toppled Henry VIII” and “The Man of Faith” (the story of Bishop John Fisher). In 2016 he had “Sir George Cayley the man who invented the aeroplane” published.

John is actively involved in poetry and creative writing groups in York. He was Grand Knight of the Knights of St Columba in York and was on the Executive Committee of the Walsingham Association for about 8 years. John is a retired marketing consultant and a company director and was educated at The Queens College Oxford and read Geology. Since his retirement he works as a volunteer at the Bar Convent as a guide and at the Yorkshire Museum where he demonstrates, fossils and minerals to the public.

Although John is a Catholic he has many connections with the Jewish faith. His great grandfather Charles Davis was the first Jewish art expert to the monarchy in this country and worked for Edward VII. His grandfather Leopold Davis kept the family tradition and was art expert to George V. John attends Shabbat services in York with members of the York Liberal Jews.

In 2014 he wrote a biography of Robert Aske with his wife Wendy.

John lives in Copmanthorpe near York and has been married to Wendy for 45 years. They have two grown children, Charles and Claire, and two grandsons Joseph and Lucas who live in Queensland in Australia.

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