John Spenser Somerville (7 July 1910 – 5 October 1999) was a New Zealand Presbyterian leader.

Biography

Somerville was born in the

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

suburb of

Andersons Bay Andersons Bay (sometimes spelt in the grammatically correct former form Anderson's Bay, and often known locally simply as "Andy Bay") is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the southeast of the city's urban area, sou ...

in 1910, the son of Grace Isabella (née Isherwood) and James Cleland Hall Somerville. He attended the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

, graduating with a Master of Arts degree with second class honours in 1935. From 1935 to 1937 he trained at the Theological Hall of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand at Knox College, at the end of which time he received his certificate of license. He then travelled to the United Kingdom, where he studied at

Westminster College, Cambridge Westminster College in Cambridge, England is a theological college of the United Reformed Church. Its principal purpose is training for the ordination of ministers, but is also used more widely for training within the denomination. History ...

and the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

. He returned to New Zealand in 1938 to become the minister at Tapanui. During World War II, Somerville served as a chaplain with the New Zealand forces from 1942 to 1945, first in Egypt and then in Italy. In 1945, he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

. After the war, he returned to Tapanui, and then moved to the

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

parish of St Andrew's-on-the-Terrace, where he served from 1947 to 1963. Somerville was

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states t ...

of New Zealand in 1960–61. Returning to his home town of Dunedin, Somerville was Master of Knox College from 1964 to 1978. He was first elected to the University of Otago Council in 1969 and from 1976 to 1982 he served as chancellor of the university. He died in Dunedin on 5 October 1999 and his ashes were buried in

Andersons Bay Cemetery Andersons Bay Cemetery is a major cemetery in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a rocky outcrop which forms the inland part of Lawyers Head, a promontory which juts into the Pacific Ocean. T ...

with those of his parents.

Honours

In 1955 Somerville was appointed a Serving Brother of the

Venerable Order of Saint John The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

and in 1958 he was promoted to Chaplain of that order. In the 1978 New Year Honours, Somerville was appointed a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

, for services to the Presbyterian Church and the University of Otago. In the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a

Member of the Order of New Zealand The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in the New Zealand royal honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity". It was instituted by royal warrant on 6 F ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerville, Jack 1910 births 1999 deaths Religious leaders from Dunedin University of Otago alumni Alumni of the University of St Andrews New Zealand Presbyterian ministers New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand recipients of the Military Cross New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Order of New Zealand Chaplains of the Order of St John Burials at Andersons Bay Cemetery Chancellors of the University of Otago New Zealand chaplains 20th-century New Zealand Presbyterian ministers New Zealand military chaplains