Cuthbert Thicknesse
Cuthbert Carroll Thicknesse[1] (19 November 1887 – 2 June 1971) was Dean of St Albans[2] from 1936[3] until his retirement in 1955.
Born into an ecclesiastical family of Lancashire landed gentry,[4] the son of Ven. Francis Norman Thicknesse,[5] and educated at Marlborough and Keble College, Oxford, he was ordained in 1913.[6] He was firstly a Curate of St John-at-Hackney.[7] He became a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces in May, 1915. He was sent to Flanders in January, 1917, attached to the Royal Artillery but, 4 months later, was wounded in the knee. He was invalided out in 1917[8] By then, he had married Rhoda Oonah Marjorie Moran Pratt, and the Archbishop of York was able to have him appointed Rector of Bedworth, a post reserved for Chaplains to the Forces.[9] In 1922, he moved to Wigan, and was made an Honorary Chaplain to the King. In 1934, he was recommended for the vacant see at Guildford[10] but was unsuccessful. He became Dean of St Albans two years later. Noted for a ‘volcanic’ temperament,[11] he was a fierce opponent of nuclear weapons,[12] and he refused to hold a service of celebration in St Albans Cathedral at the cessation of the war with Japan in August 1945.[13] He was described in his obituary as “a high church man and convinced Anglican”.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ NPG details
- ^ National Archives details
- ^ New Dean Of St. Albans Appointment Of Canon Thicknesse The Times Thursday, Mar 05, 1936; pg. 14; Issue 47315; col G
- ^ Burke's Landed Gentry, 1871, vol. II, pg 1370
- ^ Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1969, Kelly's Directories, pg 1925
- ^ Burke’s Peerage
- ^ "Parish web site". Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
- ^ Church Times obituary,4.6.1971
- ^ Guardian,20.9.1917
- ^ Lambeth Palace Library,Lang Papers
- ^ The Times obituary,3.6.1971
- ^ Opposition to nuclear weapons
- ^ Obituary Dean Thicknesse The Times Thursday, Jun 03, 1971; pg. 17; Issue 58189; col G
- ^ Times Obituary (ibid)