John Alexander Ramsbotham (25 February 1906 – 16 December 1989) was an eminent Anglican

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

during the middle third of the 20th century.

Early life and education

Son of late Rev. Alexander Ramsbotham and of late (Margaret) Emily, née Cooke (m 1896). Educated at Haileybury and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Ordained ministry

Ramsbotham was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

as a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

in 1929 and as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

in 1930. His first post was as a curate at All Hallows Lombard Street, after which he became a chaplain to the Student Christian Movement. Appointed

Vice Principal In larger school systems, a head teacher principal is often assisted by someone known as a vice-principal, deputy principal, or assistant/associate principal. Unlike the principal, the vice-principal does not have quite the decision-making authorit ...

Wells Theological College Wells Theological College began operation in 1840 within the Cathedral Close of Wells Cathedral. It was one of several new colleges created in the nineteenth century to cater not just for non-graduates, but for graduates from the old universiti ...

and then

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...

of the ''College of the Ascension,

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborn ...

'', after a brief spell as Rector of Ordsall in the Diocese of Southwell, in 1942 he became

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 pre ...

of St George's,

Jesmond Jesmond is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher average house prices than most other areas of the city. H ...

before elevation to the

episcopate 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 ...

as Bishop of Jarrow (and

Archdeacon of Auckland The archdeaconry of Auckland is a post in the Church of England Diocese of Durham. It was created from the Archdeaconry of Durham by Order-in-Council on 23 May 1882, when the Diocese of Newcastle was created from Durham's other two archdeaconries. ...

) eight years later. When

Michael Ramsey Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury, (14 November 1904 – 23 April 1988) was an English Anglican bishop and life peer. He served as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and held the office until 1 ...

was translated to

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

from

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

, he recommended Ramsbotham for several Diocesan bishoprics, but with reservations. For

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

in 1956 he was concerned that Ramsbotham said inappropriate things because he was poorly prepared. For Guildford, he observed that Ramsbotham 'lives on his nerves'. He judged that Lincoln was too large a diocese for Ramsbotham. Finally, after being 'runner-up' to

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

for Bradford, Ramsbotham's appointment to Wakefield was approved by the Prime Minister, the key figure in episcopal appointments at that time. The note from the Prime Minister's patronage secretary to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan narrowed the choice to the rather austere Noel Kellaby, Provost of Newcastle, and the personable and popular Ramsbotham. 'It is a free choice between Kennaby and Ramsbotham. On the evidence I think that you ought to choose the Provost of Newcastle. But I cannot help hoping you will choose the Bishop of Jarrow' Ramsbotham served in Wakefield for 9 years before poor health led to his retirement after many successful Diocesan initiatives.See 'Wakefield Diocese'by Kate Taylor,Canterbury Press,2012 From 1968 to 1976 he was Assistant Bishop of Newcastle and died in 1989.

Personal life

He married in 1933, Eirian Morgan Owen (d 1988); three sons (one of whom

David Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham General David John Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham, (6 November 1934 – 13 December 2022) was a British Army officer, who later served as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. He was awarded a life peerage in 2005, and later sat on the crossbenches of ...

) and two daughters.

References

1906 births People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Bishops of Jarrow Archdeacons of Auckland Bishops of Wakefield (diocese) 1989 deaths 20th-century Church of England bishops {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub