Thomas Parry (1794 – 16 March 1870) was a Welsh clergyman in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

who rose to become

Bishop of Barbados The Diocese of Barbados is one of eight dioceses of the Anglican Communion that is part of the Province of the West Indies. History The diocese was established in 1824 as one of a pair, the other being the Diocese of Jamaica, which covered the ...

from 1842 to 1869.

Background and education

He was born on 27th November 1794 the fourth son of Edward Parry, a clergyman in North Wales, who at that time was

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Llanferres Llanferres is a village and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. At the 2001 Census the population of the village was recorded as 676, increasing to 827 at the 2011 census. Geography It is located 230 metres above sea level in t ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

. Parry was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, matriculating in 1812 and graduating first-class in mathematics and second-class in classics four years later. He was appointed a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of Balliol College, Oxford in 1818 and obtained a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

in the following year. He was made deacon in 1819 and ordained priest in 1820, both times by the

Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft, following the confirmation of his elect ...

Career

Parry became Archdeacon of Antigua in 1825HM Yacht Herald'

The Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...

(London, England), Wednesday, April 06, 1825; Issue 16940 and was transferred to

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

in 1840. Two years later, he was nominated to be the second

. On 24 August 1842, Parry was consecrated a bishop at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

. He held the See until 1869 when he returned to England following a breakdown in his health.

Family and death

In 1824, he married Louisa, third daughter of Henry Hutton, rector of

Beaumont-cum-Moze Beaumont-cum-Moze () is a civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 352, reducing to 339 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes the hamlets of Beaumont and Moze Cross. The plac ...

He is the great grandfather of actor Robert Hardy . Parry died on 16 March 1870 in Malvern, Worcestershire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, Thomas 1795 births 1870 deaths 19th-century Anglican bishops in the Caribbean Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Anglican bishops of Barbados Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Welsh bishops Archdeacons of Antigua