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Hewlett Thompson
British Anglican bishop (1929–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Geoffrey Hewlett Thompson (14 August 1929 – 13 May 2025) was a British Anglican bishop. He served as Bishop of Exeter in the Church of England 1985 to 1999, having previously been a suffragan and area bishop in the Diocese of London.
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Early life and education
Thompson was born on 14 August 1929 in Hove, Sussex, England.[1] He was educated at Aldenham School.[2] He undertook his National Service in the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment from 1948 to 1949.[3] He was commissioned in the British Army as a second lieutenant on 25 September 1948.[4] He relinquished his commission on 11 August 1954.[5] He studied history and theology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1952.[6][1] He then trained for ordination at Cuddesdon College from 1952 to 1954.[3]
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Ordained ministry
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Thompson was made a deacon on Trinity Sunday 1954 (13 June)[7] and ordained a priest the next Trinity Sunday (5 June 1955) — both times by Spencer Leeson, Bishop of Peterborough, at Peterborough Cathedral.[8] He began his ordained ministry as a curate at St Matthew's, Northampton.[9] After which, he was first vicar of St Augustine, Wisbech[10] and subsequently of St Saviour's Church, Folkestone.[11]
He was consecrated to the episcopate by Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey on 24 January 1974.[12][13] He became Bishop of Willesden in 1974, one of the suffragan bishops of the Diocese of London.[1] He became an area bishop upon the foundation of the London area scheme in 1979.[14] In 1985, he translated to be the diocesan Bishop of Exeter.[15] In 1992, he was one of the bishops who voted in support of the ordination of women as priests in the Church of England.[1] He also supported ecumenical efforts and was pro-reform on issues of human sexuality, but was "unconvinced" of allowing the remarriage of divorcees in church.[11] In retirement he was an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Carlisle,[6] where he lived at Warcop.[16]
Having qualified by seniority of the Church of England's diocesan bishops in December 1989, he was introduced to the House of Lords on 21 February 1990.[3][17] He was an infrequent contributor to the Lords,[11] having never spoken 14 times in debates between his maiden speech on 13 February 1991 and his retirement as the Bishop of Exeter in 1999.[18]
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Personal life
In 1954, he married Elisabeth Joy Fausitt.[3] Together they had two sons and two daughters.[1]
Thompson died on 13 May 2025, at the age of 95.[19]
References
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