[9] His appointment to St Michael's after only two years of curacy was remarkable enough to elicit comment in the national church press, and a defence by his bishop.

[10] While at Keswick, Gresford Jones was invited by Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury, to become the first bishop of the new Diocese of Fukien, China (which was to be created from the Diocese of Victoria);[11] he ultimately declined the See because his wife was ill.[12] From there he rose rapidly, becoming successively Rural Dean and then Archdeacon: he was appointed Vicar of Bradford in 1906 (he was in post by August)[13] and was additionally Rural Dean of Bradford by 1910.

[2] In January 1920, it was announced that he had been appointed Dean of Salisbury;[17] but he withdrew his acceptance of the Deanery in favour of going to Uganda.

[23] In August 1927, it was announced that Gresford Jones had been appointed to the parish of Winwick, vacant by the resignation of Edwin Kempson, who held it with the See of Warrington.

[29] Remaining Bishop of Warrington, he was appointed a canon residentiary of the cathedral in February 1935,[30] resigning the living of Winwick later that year.