Geoffrey Tiarks
{{Short description|British Anglican bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Portal|Christianity}}Geoffrey Lewis Tiarks (8 October 1909{{snd}}13 January 1987) was a British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Maidstone in the latter part of the 20th century.Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975-76 London: Oxford University Press, 1976 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}}
Early life and education
Born into an ecclesiastical family on 8 October 1909, his father was Lewis Hermann Tiarks, some time Rector of Lerwick (in the Scottish Episcopal Church)."Scottish Episcopal Clergy, 1689-2000” Bertie, D.M: Edinburgh T & T Clark {{ISBN|0-567-08746-8}} He was educated at Marlborough College and St John's College, Cambridge.“Who was Who 1897-1990” London, A & C Black, 1991 {{ISBN|0-7136-3457-X}}
Ordained ministry
Tiarks was ordained in the Church of England: made deacon in Advent 1932 (18 December){{Church Times | title = Advent ordinations | archive = 1932_12_23_787 | issue = 3648 | date = 23 December 1932 | page = 787 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} and ordained priest the following Advent (17 December 1933), both times by Richard Parsons, Bishop of Southwark at Southwark Cathedral.{{Church Times | title = Advent ordinations | archive = 1933_12_22_759 | issue = 3700 | date = 22 December 1933 | page = 759 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} He served his a curacy at St Peter's Church, Walworth.{{Cite web |url=http://www.southwark.anglican.org/parishes/292bw.htm |title=Information about church |access-date=2008-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830051158/http://www.southwark.anglican.org/parishes/292bw.htm |archive-date=2008-08-30 |url-status=dead }} He was for many years a Royal Navy military chaplain.{{Cite web |url=http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/0079t.htm |title=Period as RN chaplain |access-date=9 September 2008 |archive-date=24 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724020942/http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/0079t.htm |url-status=dead }} Following this, he served the Anglican Church in Rondebosch, South Africa, from 1950 to 1953. He then returned to England, and was Vicar of Lyme Regis until 1961. He served as Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight to 1965 and finally (before his appointment to the episcopate), as Archdeacon of Portsmouth.
Tiarks was consecrated a bishop on 25 January 1969, by Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.{{Church Times | title = picture caption | archive = 1969_01_31_024 | issue = 5529 | date = 31 January 1969 | page = 24 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} He served as Bishop of Maidstone, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, until his retirement on 30 September 1976;{{Church Times | title = Canon is appointed as bishop | archive = 1976_08_27_002 | issue = 5924 | date = 27 August 1976 | page = 2 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} until 1974 he was also Senior Chaplain at Lambeth Palace{{Church Times | title = Bishop Tiarks | archive = 1987_01_23_009 | issue = 6467 | date = 23 January 1987 | page = 9 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} (to Ramsey as Archbishop of Canterbury).
Personal life
He married Betty Lyne Stock in Malta whilst a naval chaplain and they had a son, Robert, and a daughter, Susan. They retired to Dorset in 1976;”Ancient and Modern-Recollections from the Countryside” Biles, T (Ed): Beaminster, Beaminster Area Team, 1986 {{ISBN|0-9511903-0-X}} he died on 14 January 1987, survived by Betty.
He was second-cousin to John Tiarks (Bishop of Chelmsford, 1962–1971).{{Church Times | title = Primate's New Senior Chaplain | archive = 1968_12_27_001 | issue = 5524 | date = 27 December 1968 | page = 1 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tiarks.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=tiarks.co.uk}} Through his first cousin once removed Anne, the bishop was a first cousin twice removed to Mark Phillips,{{Church Times | title = Geoffrey Tiarks | archive = 1987_01_16_004 | issue = 6466 | date = 16 January 1987 | page = 16 | accessed = 10 October 2019 }} and one of the godfathers of Mark's son Peter, the eldest grandchild of Elizabeth II."Royal christening" The Times Friday 23 December 1977; p. 12; Issue 60194; col B
References
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{{S-vac|in abeyance|last=Stanley Betts}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Maidstone|years=1969–1976}}
{{S-aft|after=Richard Third}}
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{{Archdeacons in the Diocese of Portsmouth}}
{{Bishops of Maidstone}}
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Category:People educated at Marlborough College
Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:Archdeacons of Portsmouth
Category:Archdeacons of the Isle of Wight
Category:20th-century Church of England bishops
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