Vernon Nicholls

{{Portal|Christianity

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{{Infobox bishop styles

| bishop name = Vernon Nicholls

| dipstyle = The Right Reverend

| offstyle = My Lord

| relstyle = Bishop

| image =

}}{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|RRevd}}

| successor = Arthur Henry Attwell

| alma_mater = Durham University

| education = Truro School

| children =

| religion = Anglican

| nationality =

| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|02|02|1917|09|03|df=y}}

| death_place = Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England

| name = Vernon Nicholls

| predecessor = George Eric Gordon

| birth_date = {{birth date|1917|09|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Truro, Cornwall, England

| term = 1974–1983

| diocese = Diocese of Sodor and Man

| title = Bishop of Sodor and Man

| caption =

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|}}

| spouse =

| ordination = 1941

| birth_name = Vernon Sampson Nicholls

}}Vernon Sampson Nicholls (3 September 1917– 2 February 1996) was an Anglican clergyman who served in the Church of England as the Bishop of Sodor and ManDebrett's People of Today: Ed Ellis, P (1992, London, Debrett's) p 1485 {{ISBN|1-870520-09-2}}) from 1974 to 1983.The Times, Friday, 29 Apr 1983; pg. 14; Issue 61519; col A Bishop of Sodor and Man to retire

Birth and education

He was born in Truro"Priests And Prelates: The Daily Telegraph Clerical Obituaries" Beeson, T.R: London, Continuum, 2002 {{ISBN|978-0-8264-6337-1}} on 3 September 1917 "Who's Who 1992" p1370 (London, A & C Black {{ISBN|0-7136-3514-2}}) and educated at Truro School and Durham University.

Church career

He studied for ordination at Clifton Theological College, was ordained in 1941,Crockford's Clerical Directory 1947-48 Oxford, OUP, 1947 p958 and held Curacies at Bedminster Down, Bristol, and at Liskeard in Cornwall.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituarythe-right-rev-vernon-nicholls-1317738.html Independent obituary] He was a temporary Chaplain to the Forces from 1944 to 1946. Later he was Vicar of Meopham[http://www.meopham.org/residents.htm Residents of Renown] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628061435/http://www.meopham.org/residents.htm |date=28 June 2010 }} then Vicar of St. Matthew's Walsall and Rural Dean.

From 1967 to 1974 he was Archdeacon of Birmingham when he was elevated to the Episcopate.[http://www.feegan.com/manx/bishops.php Bishops of Sodor and Man] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531155429/http://www.feegan.com/manx/bishops.php |date=31 May 2009 }} From 1980 he was also Dean of the newly created Peel Cathedral — he was installed as such in the service where it was raised to cathedral status, on All Saints' Day (1 November 1980).{{Church Times | title = New Manx cathedral hallowed | archive = 1980_11_07_002 | issue = 6143 | date = 7 November 1980 | page = 2 | accessed = 27 June 2019 }} He died on 2 February 1996 in Stratford-on-Avon.

Private life

Nicholls was a very active Freemason under the United Grand Lodge of England. Initiated in Philbrick Lodge No 2255 (Essex), most of his masonic memberships were in Warwickshire, where he rose in seniority, eventually becoming Provincial Grand Master of the county, and leader of its 181 lodges from 1985 to 1992, following his retirement from church life.{{cite web |url = https://www.warwickshirepgl.org.uk/provincial-history |title = The History of the Province of Warwickshire |last= |first= |author= |date= |year= |editor-last= |editor-first= |publisher = Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire |location= |page= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date = 16 April 2020 |quote= }}