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Ronald William Vernon Selby Wright CVO TD JP
Ronald William Vernon Selby Wright
The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Retrieved 28 September 2014
to give a series of broadcasts. His direct, conversational style won deep appreciation and he acquired the nickname "The Radio Padre".Kernohan, R. D. (26 October 1995
The Very Rev Dr Ronald Selby Wright
The Herald, Retrieved 28 September 2014 In 1942 he was appointed Senior Chaplain to the 52nd (Lowland) Division of the British Army, serving in
Following the war, Ronald Selby Wright played a considerable role in renewing interest in liturgy in the
Blair's School Mentor was a sex abuser
Sunday Times, Archived by Spotliightonabuse, Retrieved 28 September 2014 However, Tam Dalyell, writing in the Independent, said "... there seemed to be little question and certainly no evidence.." that he was a paedophile.Dayell, Tam (26 October 1995
The Independent, Retrieved 28 September 2014 He never married but one source claimed he had a platonic relationship with a nurse who fell in love with him. He retired from Canongate Kirk in 1977 and continued to live in Edinburgh, where he died in 1995 at the age of 87. His ashes are buried immediately east of the church, with a small granite memorial, immediately below the monument to
Ronald William Vernon Selby Wright CVO TD JP FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
FSAScot (12 June 1908, Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
– 24 October 1995, Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
) was a Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
minister. He became one of the best known Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
ministers of his generation and served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
in 1972/73.Torrence, T. FRonald William Vernon Selby Wright
The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Retrieved 28 September 2014
Life
Selby Wright was born in Glasgow in 1908, the son of Prof Vernon O. Wright, and his wife, Anna Gilberta Selby. The family lived at 6 India Street in the Charing Cross district. His father was Professor of Music at the Glasgow College of Music. When Ronald was three years old, the family moved toEdinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, is now part of the Se ...
, Melville College and the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
. He studied divinity at New College, Edinburgh. He was probationer assistant at Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...
in 1936, prior to becoming minister at Canongate Kirk
The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It i ...
in Edinburgh in January 1937. His only ministerial charge, he remained at Canongate until he retired in 1977. He turned down numerous offers, including the Chair in Practical Theology at the University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
and the Chaplaincy of the University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...
.
His ministry at Canongate Kirk was notable for his social concern, liturgical interest and for the restoration of the church building. His social concern was particularly reflected in the establishment of the Canongate Boys’ Club. During his ministry the Canongate
The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...
parish was one of the most run-down areas of Edinburgh, with considerable poverty — despite the presence of the Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
in the parish. He would also later serve as chaplain to a number of Edinburgh schools and edited some books for teenagers, such as ''Asking Them Questions''. His social concern would also see him become actively involved in a wide range of activities in Edinburgh, including serving on the management of various institutions. He was an erudite man, the author of many books and he had a large personal library.
Before World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he had been a Territorial Army Chaplain, but in 1939 he was mobilised as a padre with The Royal Scots
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment line infantry, of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of England ...
regiment in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. He managed to evade capture by the German Army and was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. During his military service the Rev. George MacLeod
George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, (17 June 1895 – 27 June 1991) was a Scottish soldier and clergyman; he was one of the best known, most influential and unconventional Church of Scotland ministers of the 20th century. He ...
served as locum at Canongate Kirk.
Back in Scotland, Ronald Selby Wright was recruited by the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...The Very Rev Dr Ronald Selby Wright
The Herald, Retrieved 28 September 2014 In 1942 he was appointed Senior Chaplain to the 52nd (Lowland) Division of the British Army, serving in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Following the war, Ronald Selby Wright played a considerable role in renewing interest in liturgy in the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
. Drawing on John Knox
John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgat ...
’s work (notably the Book of Common Order of 1564), he devised a liturgical order of service for use at Canongate Kirk, including considerable participation by the congregation (then highly unusual in the Church of Scotland.) He was very much of the ‘High Church’ tradition within the Church of Scotland; he was President of the Scottish Church Society
The Scottish Church Society is a Church of Scotland society founded in 1892. Leading founders were Thomas Leishman and William Milligan, and the first secretary was James Cooper.
Background
Although always a minority within the Church of Scotland ...
. He also oversaw the renovation and restoration of Canongate Kirk, through the removal of unsympathetic Victorian accretions (such as the galleries and an overbearing organ in front of the pulpit.) The church was thus restored to a dignified, aesthetic simplicity of high quality.
From 1946 he lived at 17 Regent Terrace
Regent Terrace is a residential street of 34 classical 3-bay townhouses built on the upper south side of Calton Hill in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Regent Terrace is within the Edinburgh New and Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed ...
in Edinburgh, a truly huge and luxurious property.Mitchell, Anne (1993), "The People of Calton Hill", Mercat Press
Mercat Press is an imprint of the Edinburgh, Scotland-based publishing company Birlinn Limited. It was established in 1970 as a subsidiary of the bookseller James Thin, and published facsimile editions of out-of-print Scottish works, such as t ...
, James Thin, Edinburgh, .
He valued the church’s connections with the state and in 1963 became a Chaplain to The Queen. The Queen worships in Canongate Kirk when in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...
. He was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(CVO) in 1986, Doctor of Divinity (DD) by the University of Edinburgh in 1956 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
(FRSE) in 1973.
A 1997 Sunday Times article, citing the private diaries of an unnamed deceased member of an upper class Scottish family, claimed that Wright was a persistent paedophile who was treated for venereal disease.Mega, Marcello (1 May 1997Blair's School Mentor was a sex abuser
Sunday Times, Archived by Spotliightonabuse, Retrieved 28 September 2014 However, Tam Dalyell, writing in the Independent, said "... there seemed to be little question and certainly no evidence.." that he was a paedophile.Dayell, Tam (26 October 1995
The Independent, Retrieved 28 September 2014 He never married but one source claimed he had a platonic relationship with a nurse who fell in love with him. He retired from Canongate Kirk in 1977 and continued to live in Edinburgh, where he died in 1995 at the age of 87. His ashes are buried immediately east of the church, with a small granite memorial, immediately below the monument to
Robert Hurd
Robert Philip Andrew Hurd (29 July 1905 – 17 September 1963) was an influential conservation architect. His original aim was to be an architectural author specialising in traditional forms. He came to Scotland in 1930 and worked at the Edinb ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Ronald Selby 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland People educated at Stewart's Melville College People educated at Edinburgh Academy Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 1908 births 1995 deaths