(Geoffrey) Stuart Snell (1920–1988) was a British

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 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 ca ...

. He was born in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

on the 25 October 1920 and educated at

Exeter School Exeter School is an independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2019, there were around 200 pupils in the Junior School and 700 in the Senior School. History The School traces its ...

and

St Peter's College, Oxford St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th c ...

. Snell entered the Anglican ministry from the parish of Emmanuel, Northwood,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

where he was a member of the laity. He had already done some training under

Donald Coggan Frederick Donald Coggan, Baron Coggan, (9 October 1909 – 17 May 2000) was the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury from 1974 to 1980.

, and in the early 1960s decided to go forward for ministry. The

Bishop of London 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 ca ...

suggested that he remain in his own house and serve as a second curate in the Parish of Emmanuel. He brought to the ministry immense gifts of mind and heart, and the then vicar, Martin Parsons declared "it was a joy to have him and Margaret with us in the work." Eventually some years later in 1977 Snell was made

Bishop of Croydon The Bishop of Croydon is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The Croydon Archdeaconry was transferred from Canterbury Diocese to Southwark in 1984. Th ...

, and Parsons was greatly honoured when he was asked by the Archbishop to preach the sermon at Snell's consecration. The Rt. Revd. Stuart Snell was also

Bishop to the Forces The Anglican church in the British Armed Forces falls under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury; however, for all practical purposes the function is performed by the Bishop to the Forces. His full title is "The Archbishop of Canterbur ...

and in 1983 visited the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

to conduct a memorial service for all those who died in the conflict. He also consecrated cemeteries on the Islands. Snell died in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

in July 1988, aged 67 years old. Snell married Margaret Lonsdale Geary. Their son

Adrian Snell Adrian Snell (born 1954) is an English pianist, keyboard player, singer and composer. Biography Classically trained at the Leeds College of Music and with a music diploma to his name (LGSM), Snell's musical career spans nearly four decades. Du ...

is a songwriter and another son, Christopher Snell, died on 14 June 2008 of cancer. He was an actor.

References

1920 births People educated at Exeter School Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford Bishops of Croydon Bishops to the Forces 20th-century Church of England bishops Non-diocesan Anglican bishops 1988 deaths {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub