Guy Vernon Smith (15 October 188011 June 1957) was an Anglican

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

in the mid-20th century. Smith was educated at Winchester''

Who was Who ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It is a book, and also a CD-ROM and a website, giving information on influential people from around the world. Published annually as a book since 1849, it lists people who influence British life, according to i ...

'' 1897–1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 and New College, Oxford. Following in the footsteps of his father, a King's Counsel, Smith was called to the Bar in 1905 but then decided on a career move from Law to the Church of England He was ordained in 1907, was a curate in

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and, from 1909 to 1911, was Chaplain of Oxford House, Bethnal Green. This was 'like a Christian Welfare Society' with 1500 men and 500 boys in clubs, open every night.Unpublished autobiography of Vernon Smith held at Museum of Army Chaplaincy So began his long association with Arthur Winnington-Ingram, the dynamic Bishop of London. He became Resident Chaplain to the Bishop, and supported the Bishop noted for his jingoistic promotion of British commitment to the Great War. Winnington-Ingram was a renowned preacher who attracted massive publicity, and he toured the Western Front in 1914 with Smith who wrote a book about the visit. Smith himself then served on the Western Front with the Post Office Rifles, distinguishing himself at Bullecourt in June, 1917, winning a Military Cross - the citation for which read: Smith caught

trench nephritis Trench nephritis, also known as war nephritis, is a kidney infection, first recognised by medical officers as a new disease during the early part of the First World War and distinguished from the then-understood acute nephritis by also having bron ...

and spent six months in hospital in England. He was, however, fit enough to accompany Winnington-Ingram on a tour of Greece, Salonica, Malta and Rome. He ended the War as a chaplain at Aldershot and then took up an appointment as Rector of Hackney. From 1925 to 1929 he was Archdeacon of Colombo but returned to London at the behest of Winnington-Ingram to be Suffragan Bishop of Willesden. He was consecrated a bishop on the Feast of St James 1929 (25 July), at St Paul's Cathedral by

Cosmo Lang William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945) was a Scottish Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His elevation to Archbishop ...

, Archbishop of Canterbury. Once again, Smith provided admirable support for Winnington-Ingram whose powers were waning and who did not resign until 1939 when he was in his eighties. The new Bishop of London was Geoffrey Fisher who proposed Smith for the vacant see at Leicester. Although Lang regarded Smith as 'old maidish', he supported Smith's candidature, and Smith was appointed to Leicester in 1940. Smith enjoyed a reputation in Leicester as a 'saintly man', 'with a patient pastoral care and administrative wisdom'. He retired in 1953. He has a commemorative plaque in

Leicester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester, commonly known as Leicester Cathedral, is a Church of England cathedral in Leicester, England and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. The church was elevated to a collegiate church in 192 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Guy Vernon 1880 births People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Recipients of the Military Cross Archdeacons of Colombo Bishops of Willesden Bishops of Leicester 20th-century Church of England bishops 1957 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers World War I chaplains