James Thomas (priest)

James Thomas ( 4 September 1918-2005) was Dean of Saint Paul's Cathedral, Wellington from 1978 to 1985.^[1]

Thomas was born on 4 September 1918 in Wales.^[2] He was educated at St David's College, Lampeter and Selwyn College, Cambridge; and ordained in 1942 or 1943 (sources differ).^[2][3] After curacies in Amroth and Laugharne he was a Chaplain to the British Armed Forces during World War II. When peace returned, he served a further curacy at Braunton and held incumbencies at Thornthwaite (England), Kensington (New Zealand), Otipua, Riccarton and Auckland. He was Archdeacon of Waitemata from 1972 until 1978.^[3] He had arrived in New Zealand in 1955.^[2]

He has one son and three daughters. Since 2020, his daughter Susan Thomas has been chief justice of the New Zealand High Court.^[4] He died in 2005 (https://ehive.com/collections/4366/objects/143558/photograph-colour-portrait-of-the-very-reverend-james-thomas-third-dean-of-wellington-19781985-in-w)

References

1. Blain, Michael. Wellington Cathedral of S Paul: A History 1840–2001
2. Lambert, Max (1991). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991 (12th ed.). Auckland: Octopus. pp. 628f. ISBN 9780790001302.
3. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1980/82 p 1004: Oxford, OUP, 1983 ISBN 0192000101
4. Murdoch, Wendy (27 June 2020). "Justice Susan Thomas accentuates the positive from the seat up front". Stuff. Retrieved 8 May 2021.