David Lewis Prosser (10 June 1868 – 28 February 1950) was a Welsh

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

bishop and

Archbishop of Wales The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...

from 1944 to 1949.

Life

Prosser was born in Llangynnor on 10 June 1868. He was educated at

Llandovery College , image = Llandovery College (geograph 5927072).jpg , image_size = , motto = Gwell Dysg Na Golud(here areno riches better than learning) , established = , closed = , type = Independent day and boa ...

Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Histo ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

, west

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, before entering

Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to th ...

, with a history

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

. He obtained a third-class degree in modern history in 1891 and was then ordained deacon in 1892 and priest in 1893. He served as assistant curate of Holy Trinity,

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

(1892–96) and Christ Church,

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

(1896–1909) before being appointed

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock ( cy, Doc Penfro) is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following ...

in 1909. He was additionally appointed

Archdeacon of St David's The Archdeacon of St Davids is a senior cleric in the Church in Wales' Diocese of St Davids. The archdeacon is the senior priest with responsibility over the area of the archdeaconry of St Davids, one of three archdeaconries in the ...

in 1920. In 1927, he was consecrated as

Bishop of St David's The Bishop of St Davids is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St Davids. The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the St Davids, city of ...

, a post he held until his death on 28 February 1950 aged 81. He was also

from 1944 to 1949. He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Keble College in 1949.

Views on Ecumenism

Prosser believed strongly that the Anglican Church in Wales was the true Catholic Church in Wales and that both the Roman Catholic and Nonconformist Churches were no more than "Intruders", as evidenced by his statement in 1946 (which he repeated in May 1949): "The Roman clergy and Noncomformist ministers are intruders… There may be historical excuse for their being here, but we cannot recognise their right to be here…"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosser, David Lewis 1868 births 1950 deaths 20th-century bishops of the Church in Wales Archdeacons of St Davids Bishops of St Davids Archbishops of Wales People educated at Llandovery College Alumni of Keble College, Oxford 20th-century Anglican archbishops Welsh-speaking clergy