Robert Stopford (bishop)

{{Infobox Christian leader

| name = Robert Stopford

| honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|RRevd|&RHPC}}

| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|CBE}}

| title = Bishop of Bermuda

| image = Stopford.jpg

| diocese = Anglican Church of Bermuda

| elected = 1976

| predecessor = Eric Trapp

| successor = Anselm Genders

| other_post =

| ordination =

| consecration = c. 1974

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1901|2|20}}

| birth_place = Garston, Lancashire, UK

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1976|8|13|1901|2|20}}

| nationality = British

| religion = Anglican

| previous_post = Bishop of Jerusalem
(Vicar-General) 1974–1976
Bishop of London
1961–1973
Bishop of Peterborough
1956–1961
Bishop of Fulham
1955–1956

| alma_mater = Hertford College, Oxford

}}

Robert Wright Stopford, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCVO|CBE}} (20 February 1901 – 13 August 1976) was a British Anglican bishop.

Early life and education

Stopford was born in Garston, Merseyside (then in Lancashire) to John William Stopford, a timber merchant born in Galway, Ireland. He was educated at Coatham School in Redcar and Liverpool College, where he was Head of House (Littler's). He continued his education at Hertford College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree. At Oxford he obtained first classes in classical honour moderations (1922) and modern history (1924). He was subsequently an Honorary Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, and a Fellow of King's College London. He received a Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of London and a Doctor of Civil Law degree from the University of Durham. Stopford was married with two children.

Ministry

Michaelmas 1932 made deacon{{Church Times | title = Ordinations | archive = 1932_09_30_382 | issue = 3636 | date = 30 September 1932 | page = 382 | accessed = 25 May 2019 }}
Michaelmas 1933 ordained priest{{Church Times | title = Ordinations | archive = 1933_10_06_399 | issue = 3689 | date = 6 October 1933 | page = 399 | accessed = 25 May 2019 }}
1932–1935 Chaplain, Oundle School{{Church Times | title = Death of Bishop Stopford in England | archive = 1976_08_20_003 | issue = 5923 | date = 20 August 1976 | page = 3 | accessed = 25 May 2019 }}
1935–1940 Principal of Trinity College (Kandy), Ceylon
1940–1946 Principal of Achimota College, Gold Coast
1946–1947 Rector of Chipping Barnet
1947–1955 Moderator—Secretary, Council of the Church Training Colleges
1952–1955 Honorary Chaplain to the Queen; General Secretary, the National Society; Secretary, the Schools Council
11 June 1955 consecrated bishop{{Church Times | title = Three new bishops consecrated at St. Paul's | archive = 1955_06_17_001 | issue = 4819 | date = 17 June 1955 | page = 1 | accessed = 25 May 2019 }}
1955–1956 Bishop suffragan of Fulham (jurisdiction: northern Europe){{London Gazette | issue = 40487 | date = 24 May 1955 | page = 3011 }}
June 1956-1961 Bishop of Peterborough
1961–1973 Bishop of London (confirmed 25 September 1961;{{Church Times | title = Confirmation of Election | archive = 1961_09_29_001 | issue = 5146 | date = 29 September 1961 | page = 1 | accessed = 25 May 2019 }} retired June 1973)
1961–1976 Privy Counsellor
17 October 1961-1973 Dean of Her Majesty's Chapels Royal.{{London Gazette | issue = 42490 | date = 17 October 1961 | page = 7515 }}{{London Gazette | issue = 46032 | date = 20 July 1973 | page = 8517 }}
1974–76 Vicar-General in Jerusalem
1975 Chairman of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Trust
8 February 1976: installed Bishop of Bermuda at Hamilton Cathedral

During his tenure as Bishop of London, Stopford formalised the system of assigning districts to the oversight of suffragans, adapted the diocese's organisation to the 1964 creation of Greater London,{{Church Times | title = Death of Bishop Stopford in England | archive = 1976_08_20_003 | issue = 5923 | date = 20 August 1976 | page = 3 | accessed = 4 January 2021 }} and initiated the 1970 experimental area scheme.{{Church Times | title = Virtual autonomy for London's ‘area bishops’? | archive = 1970_02_20_01 | issue = 5584 | date = 20 February 1970 | page = 1 | accessed = 29 September 2020 }}

Legacy

File:Memorial to Robert Wright Stopford, Peterborough Cathedral.jpg

Bishop Stopford's School in Enfield and Bishop Stopford School in Kettering are named after him. A boarding house, Stopford House, at Achimota School in Accra, Ghana, was named in his honour. He was appointed KCVO in 1973, shortly before he retired as Bishop of London

References

External links

[http://www.trinitycollege.lk/history_&_heritage/principals_stopford.html Trinity College, Sri Lanka]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[http://www.bishop-stopfords-school.co.uk/index.htm Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield]
[http://www.bishopstopford.com/ Bishop Stopford School in Kettering]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060806012615/http://www.achimotatrust.org/ The Achimota Trust]