Robin Woods

The Right Reverend
Robin Woods
KCMG KCVO
Bishop of Worcester
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of Worcester
In office 1971 to 1982
Orders
Ordination 1938 (deacon)
1939 (priest)
Consecration c. 1971
Personal details
Birth name Robert Wilmer Woods
Born (1914-02-14)14 February 1914
Died 20 October 1997(1997-10-20) (aged 83)
Nationality English
Denomination Anglicanism
Education Gresham's School
Alma mater Trinity College, Cambridge

Robert Wilmer Woods, KCMG, KCVO (14 February 1914 – 20 October 1997), known as Robin Woods, was an English Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Worcester from 1971 to 1982. He previously served as Archdeacon of Sheffield from 1958 to 1962, and as Dean of Windsor from 1962 to 1970.

Background and education

Woods was the youngest son of the Right Reverend Edward Sydney Woods (died 11 January 1953), Bishop of Lichfield. His mother was Clemence Barclay (died 14 October 1952), a member of the family of Barclay of Higham.

He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Career

Military service

Robin Woods
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1942–1946
Rank Chaplain to the Forces
Service number 239275
Unit Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Mentioned in Dispatches

Woods served in the British Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946. On 26 September 1942, he was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent to captain).[1] In November 1945, he was mentioned in despatches "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy".[2]

Ordained ministry

Woods was ordained a deacon of the Church of England in 1938 and a priest in 1939. He was asst Secretary of the Student Christian Movement between 1937 and 1942. His first clerical position was as curate at St Edmund the King, Lombard Street, London, 1938–1939, and at Hoddesdon, 1939-1942.

After the war, he was given his first benefice as Vicar of South Wigston, Leicester, in 1946, then in 1951 went to Malaya as Archdeacon of Singapore and Vicar of St Andrew's Cathedral. In 1958 he returned to England to become Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rector of Tankersley. In 1962, he was appointed Dean of Windsor and Domestic Chaplain to H.M. the Queen and played an influential part in the education of Charles, Prince of Wales. It was his recommendation to send Charles to Trinity College, Cambridge, his own old college. While at Windsor, he also served also as Register of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. In 1970, he became Bishop of Worcester and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour in the personal gift of the sovereign. He retired in 1981.

Other positions Woods held include:

Later life

Worcester Cathedral, grave of Bishop Robin Woods in the Cathedral Cloisters

His ashes are buried in the cloisters of Worcester Cathedral.

According to his obituary in The Times, Woods was the most successful Dean of Windsor in the twentieth century.

Honours

Family

Woods married Henrietta ("Etta") Marian Wilson, in 1942, and they had two sons and three daughters. His widow died on 8 February 2005, at the age of 88. Through this marriage Woods became one of the wealthiest clergy in the Church of England.

Publications

  • Lord of All, Hear Our Prayer (ed.)
  • Robin Woods: an autobiography (1986) ISBN 978-0-334-02424-8

References

  1. ↑ "No. 35716". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 September 1942. p. 4161.
  2. ↑ "No. 37368". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1945. pp. 5791–5817.
  • Who's Who 1993 (A. & C. Black, London, 1993) page 2063
  • Robin Woods: an autobiography by Robin Woods (SCM Press, 1986)
  • Telegraph wills.
Church of England titles
Preceded by
Douglas Harrison		 Archdeacon of Sheffield
1958–1962		 Succeeded by
Hayman Johnson
Preceded by
Lewis Mervyn Charles-Edwards		 Bishop of Worcester
1971–1982		 Succeeded by
Philip Goodrich
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.