Memorial to Harold Edward Wynn in Ely Cathedral

Harold Edward Wynn (15 January 1889 – 12 August 1956) was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

. He was born on 15 January 1889 and educated at Mercers' School, London and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

Ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

a priest on

Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christianity, Western Christian liturgical year, liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the ...

1912 (2 June), by

Frederic Chase Frederic Henry Chase (21 February 1853, London23 September 1925, Bexhill-on-Sea, Bexhill) was a British academic and Bishop of Ely. Life The only son of Charles Frederic Chase, rector of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, St Andrew by the Wardrobe an ...

Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire (with the exception of the Soke of Peterborough), together with ...

, at

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral can trace its origin to the abbey founded in Ely in 67 ...

, his first post was as

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

, a period interrupted by

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

service as a

to the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

. He was very young at 25 when he was interviewed for a commission as a chaplain in October 1914, but served successfully in France, Italy and finally, the Army of the Rhine. He was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Croce di Guerre, an Italian decoration for meritorious service. He was regarded as "A very capable Chaplain. Has indeed most Valuable Services both on the ministerial and administrative side of Department's work". The choice for Ely in 1941 rested between George Chase, a future Bishop of Ripon and Edward Wynn. Archbishops Lang and Temple preferred Chase. Wynn's outgoing personality had led to perceived drawbacks in his candidature for the post e.g. "... he had never quite grown up and had remained something of a Peter Pan". However, Prime Minister Churchill preferred Wynn and he was consecrated bishop on 25 July 1941.'Someday I'll Find You', HA Williams, p171, Mitchell Beasley, 1982 He died suddenly on 12 August 1956, having proved very popular and acquiring a reputation as "... one of the gentlest and most compassionate of men ... Everybody who knew him well will know how consistently benevolent he always was". Wynn was the first alumnus of

Ely Theological College Ely Theological College was a college in Ely, Cambridgeshire, for training clergy in the Church of England. Founded in 1876 by James Woodford, Anglican Bishop of Ely, the college had a strong Anglo-Catholic tradition. Ely's "ritualistic" ( ...

to become a diocesan bishop.Mascall, E. L. (1992) ''Saraband''. Leominster: Gracewing; p. 102 There is a commemorative plaque in Ely Cathedral.

References

1889 births 1956 deaths People educated at Mercers' School Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Anglo-Catholic bishops Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Bishops of Ely 20th-century Church of England bishops Members of Anglican religious orders Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers Staff of Westcott House, Cambridge Alumni of Ely Theological College {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub