John Hester (priest)
John Frear Hester, QHC (21 January 1927 – 9 February 2008) was a British Anglican priest and chaplain. An Anglo-Catholic with liberal views, he held a special ministry to the entertainment world as secretary of the Actors' Church Union and served varied chaplaincies, ranging from strip clubs to Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. In addition to his chaplaincy, he served in parish ministry, including as rector of Soho (1963–1975), priest-in-charge of St Paul's, Covent Garden ("the actors' church"; 1969–1975), vicar of Brighton (1975–1985) and finally canon residentiary and precentor of Chichester Cathedral from 1985 until he retired in 1997.[1][2][3][4]
Personal life
In 1959, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Eric Riches.[3][5] Together they had three sons.[1]
Hester was friends with "a wide circle of people in entertainment", including Peter Sellers.[1] He was godfather to Sellers's daughter, Victoria, and officiated at his funeral.[1]
Selected works
- Hester, John (1970). Soho is my parish. London: Lutterworth Pres. ISBN 9780718817046.
References
- ^ a b c d Hewitt, Phil (16 April 2008). "Canon John Hester". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ "Canon John Hester". The Telegraph. 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Canon John Hester". The Times. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory. Church House Publishing. 1 December 1999. ISBN 978-0-7151-8107-2.
- ^ "Article Hester, Rev. Canon John Frear, (21 Jan. 1927–9 Feb. 2008), Canon Residentiary and Precentor of Chichester Cathedral, 1985–97, Canon Emeritus 1997; Chaplain to the Queen, 1984–97". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2025.