Edward Michael Gresford Jones (called Michael; 21 October 19017 March 1982) was a

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 ...

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 ...

. He was the son of Herbert Gresford Jones who was also a bishop. He was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

and

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 1927, his first post being as a Curate at St Chrysostom's,

Victoria Park, Manchester Victoria Park is a suburban area of Manchester, England. Victoria Park lies approximately two miles south of Manchester city centre, between Rusholme and Longsight. History and description In 1836, a unique enterprise was undertaken by Rich ...

. He was Chaplain at his old college and after this held incumbencies at Fylde and

Hunslet Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the city centre and has an industrial past. It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds Central parliamentar ...

. From 1942 to 1950 he was Bishop of Willesden and

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 ...

of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate — he was consecrated a bishop on

Lady Day In the Western liturgical year, Lady Day is the traditional name in some English-speaking countries of the Feast of the Annunciation, which is celebrated on 25 March, and commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, durin ...

(25 March) at St Paul's Cathedral, though he remained at Leeds until he was instituted to St Botolph's on 30 April. He was

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

to St Albans. From 1953 until 1970, he served as

Lord High Almoner The Royal Almonry is a small office within the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, headed by the Lord High Almoner, an office dating from 1103. The almoner is responsible for distributing alms to the poor. The Lord High Almoner is usually a ...

. Gresford Jones was enthroned as the 6th

Bishop of St Albans The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three ar ...

on 28 September 1950, where he remained in office until 1970. Renowned for his administrative skillsNational Archives
/ref> rather than his oratory. His maiden speech was in connection with the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexuality, and he subsequently spoke on a variety of issues including, space research, dog licences and Chemical and Biological Warfare. In retirement he continued to serve the church as an Assistant Bishop within the

Diocese of Monmouth The Diocese of Monmouth is a diocese of the Church in Wales. Despite the name, its cathedral is located not in Monmouth but in Newport — the Cathedral Church of St Woolos. Reasons for not choosing the title of Newport included the existence of ...

until 1978.

References

1901 births 1982 deaths People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Bishops of St Albans Holders of a Lambeth degree Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order College chaplains of the University of Cambridge 20th-century Church of England bishops {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub