Arthur Morris (bishop)

Born the son of E. H. Morris (of Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire),[3] Arthur was educated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, taking the degrees Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1920, and proceeding Cambridge Master of Arts (MA Cantab) in 1924. He became a second lieutenant in the King's Regiment (Liverpool) in 1917, during World War I, trained for the ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge[3] and was ordained a deacon on Trinity Sunday (11 June) 1922[4] and a priest the next Trinity Sunday (27 May), both times by William Wand, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral.[5] He married Evelyn Ethel Woods in 1924 and they had three sons before he was widowed in 1953.[3]

Following his title post, as assistant curate of All Soul, Harlesden,[6] Morris' first incumbency was as Vicar of Great Clacton with Little Holland (1926–1930), after which he served the Church Pastoral-Aid Society as Metropolitan Secretary (from 1930). He then returned to vicaring, at St Mark's Hamilton Terrace[7] (in Marylebone, London, from 1933), later (1939–1946) also becoming Rural Dean of the St Marylebone area. He was as an RAF chaplain in World War II (1940–1945) and served, briefly, as a Proctor in Convocation for London in 1945. After the war had ended — in 1946 —, he became both Archdeacon of Halifax and a canon (of St Hilda) of Wakefield Cathedral, and was elected a Proctor for that diocese.[3]

In 1949, he was moved to a different archdeaconry and canonry of the same diocese and cathedral — Archdeacon of Pontefract and St Chad's canon[3] — and additionally appointed to the episcopate as the third Bishop of Pontefract, the bishop suffragan of the diocese.[8] His appointment to the suffragan See was approved in August 1949[9] and he was ordained and consecrated a bishop on All Saints' Day (1 November) at York Minster.[10] He was translated to be the diocesan Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich in 1954;[11] he was installed at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on 22 July 1954.[12] He was awarded the Lambeth degree of Doctor of Divinity (DD) the same year and entered the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual in 1959.[3] He retired in 1965,[1] living at the time of his death at Holbrook, Suffolk;[3] he died in his sleep at Ipswich.[6]