Richard Parsons (bishop)

Richard Godfrey Parsons (1882–1948) was an Anglican bishop who served in three dioceses during the first half of the 20th century, and a renowned liberal scholar.^[1]

Memorial in Hereford Cathedral

Parsons was born into a Lancashire family ^[2] on 12 November 1882 and educated at Durham School and Magdalen College, Oxford.^[3] Ordained priest in 1907 he was a curate at Hampstead before four years as Chaplain at University College, Oxford.^[4] and Principal of Wells Theological College from 1911-16. He served for one year as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces. Married with two children, he expressed a preference to remain 'at home' and he was posted to '2 General Hospital, London'. He was described as 'Roundfaced'.^[5]

(Ideally suited to pastoral work, he became Bishop of Middleton, a suffragan bishop appointment, in 1927. During this period he was one of several clerics who made a major contribution to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer. A man with much sympathy to the poor^[6] he enjoyed his time at the Diocese of Southwark (1932–41) before translation to Hereford;^[7] he legally took the See of Hereford at the confirmation of his election on 12 November 1941 at St Margaret's, Westminster.^[8] A devoted family man, he married Dorothy Streeter in 1912. His son died in the siege of Tobruk and he died himself on 26 December 1948.

References

1. The Times, Tuesday, Dec 28, 1948; pg. 7; Issue 51264; col E Bishop Of Hereford A Liberal Scholar
2. “Who was Who” 1897-1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 0-7136-3457-X
3. Rawlinson, A. E. J.; rev. Marc Brodie. "Parsons, Richard Godfrey (1882–1948)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004). Retrieved 6 November 2009. ...born at Pendleton, Lancashire, on 12 November 1882, the only son of William Parsons, merchant, of Calcutta, who became secretary of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, and his wife, Bertha Best, of Thetford, Norfolk. Educated at Durham School (1895–1901), he became in 1901 a demy of Magdalen College, Oxford, obtaining in 1903 a second class in honour moderations and in 1905 and 1906 first-class honours in literae humaniores and theology, and being elected to a Liddon studentship. Postgraduate work in Germany was followed by residence at the deanery, Westminster, as the pupil of the dean, J. Armitage Robinson, and at Cuddesdon College.
4. Many years later he was appointed a Fellow of the College
5. Index Card Museum of Army Chaplaincy
6. Times Obit-Tuesday, Dec 28, 1948 (ibid.)
7. The Times, Friday 5 September 1941; p. 7, Four Episcopal Appointments New Bishop of Hereford
8. "Southwark: Episcopal arrangements". Church Times. No. 4109. 24 October 1941. p. 624. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 26 September 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.

Church of England titles
New title	Bishop of Middleton 1927–1932	Succeeded by Cecil Wilson
Preceded by Cyril Garbett	Bishop of Southwark 1932–1941	Succeeded by Bertram Simpson
Preceded by Charles Lisle Carr	Bishop of Hereford 1941–1948	Succeeded by Tom Longworth