Simon Phipps (bishop)
Simon Phipps | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Lincoln | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| In office | 1974–1987 |
| Predecessor | Kenneth Riches |
| Successor | Robert M. Hardy |
| Other post | Bishop of Horsham |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1968 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 July 1921 |
| Died | 29 January 2001 (aged 79) |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | William & Pamela |
| Spouse | Mary Welch (m. 1973) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Simon Wilton Phipps MC (1921–2001) was a British Anglican bishop, who served as Bishop of Lincoln between 1974 and 1987.[1]
Life
He was born on 6 July 1921, the son of Captain William Duncan Phipps R.N. and Pamela Ross, and was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[1]
In 1940, he was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards.[1] He fought both in North Africa, where he was wounded, and in Italy. On 19 April 1945, in the Allied advance to the River Po, he was again wounded during a reconnaissance mission and was subsequently awarded the Military Cross (MC). He reached the rank of major, before being demobilised in 1946.[2]
Following the war, having read History at Trinity, he studied for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge. A talented writer of lyrics, he was President of Footlights in 1949.[3]
In 1953, after a short spell as a curate in Huddersfield, Phipps was appointed Chaplain at Trinity.[1] That appointment was followed by ten years at Coventry as an Industrial Chaplain, during which time he lived in a small council flat on a new housing estate.
The modesty of his surroundings did not prevent him from entertaining his long-time friend, Princess Margaret, "to the great interest of his neighbours".[4]
In 1968, Phipps was appointed as Suffragan Bishop of Horsham.[5] In 1974 he was translated to Lincoln in 1974, where he served as Bishop until 1987.
Marriage and death
In 1973, he married Mary Welch, who died in 2000.[1] They had no children. Phipps died in January 2001.
Sources
- Caroline Gilmour and Patricia Wyndham, Simon Phipps: A Portrait (Continuum, 2003)
- "The Right Reverend Simon Phipps". The Telegraph. 7 February 2001. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
References
- ^ a b c d e De-la-Nay, Michael (2 February 2001). "Rt Rev Simon Phipps". Guardian newspaper. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "Phipps, Rt Rev. Simon Wilton". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007.
- ^ "Archives, 1920-1960". Cambridge Footlights. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Edward H. Patey, Cathedral and Industry, in Simon Phipps: A Portrait.
- ^ "Former Bishop Leaves Fortune". The Argus. 30 May 2001. Retrieved 22 September 2025.