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Frank Russell Barry (28 January 189024 October 1976) 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 ...
and author who served as Bishop of Southwell for over 20 years in the middle of the 20th century.


Family and education

Born in
Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...
, Barry was the son of another priest, George Duncan Barry, who served as curate of St Peter's Rochester then of St Mark's Surbiton, and was later Rector of Bratton Fleming; and his wife Edith née Reid; his brother was the journalist Gerald Barry. He was educated at
Bradfield College Bradfield College is a coeducational public school (independent boarding and day school) for pupils aged 13–18, in the village of Bradfield, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It is noted for its open-air Greek theatre and its trien ...
before studying Classics ( literae humaniores) at
Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...
. He became a Fellow and Lecturer at Oriel in 1913, which role he retained throughout his wartime service, until his move to Oxford. He was made deacon 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 ...
1914 (7 June), then ordained priest the following Trinity (30 May 1915) — both times by
Charles Gore Charles Gore (22 January 1853 – 17 January 1932) was a Church of England bishop, first of Worcester, then Birmingham, and finally of Oxford. He was one of the most influential Anglican theologians of the 19th century, helping reconcile the ...
,
Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft (bishop), Steven Croft, following the Confirm ...
, at Cuddesdon Parish Church; very exceptionally, he was not ordained to a title post but to officiate throughout the diocese. In 1929, he married Lilian Janet Gray; they had one child, a daughter.


Wartime service

During the Great War he had two interviews for a commission as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces. He was unsuccessful at his first interview in October, 1914, but was appointed in November, 1915. As TCF he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Mentioned in Despatches. The citation for his DSO referred to his actions near Mouquet Farm during the Battle of the Somme. 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He tended and dressed the wounded under very heavy fire with the greatest courage and determination. He set a splendid example throughout the operation'. He was also awarded the Montenegrin medal. During the War, he was part of the beginnings of what would become the Ordination Test School.


Presbyteral ministry

Although only 28 when the War ended, Barry had been promoted from 4th Class to 2nd Class within the Chaplaincy and, in 1919, became Principal of Knutsford Ordination Test School. In 4 years, about 700 men would be trained for ordination, and they would serve as clergymen into the 1970s. In 1923, Barry was appointed Archdeacon in Egypt and Chaplain of All Saints', Cairo (
Anglican Diocese of Egypt The Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria is a province of the Anglican Communion. Its territory was formerly the Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa. On 29 June 2020 the diocese was elevated to the status of an eccles ...
); but returned to England the same year to become
Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
of ''New Testament Interpretation'' at
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
. Later, in 1929, he was honoured with a
Fellowship of King's College London A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...
(FKC). In 1928, he left London to become Vicar of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin and a
Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
and
Tutor Tutoring is private academic help, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects. A tutor, formally also called an academic tutor, is a person who provides assis ...
of
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...
. He returned to London in 1933 to serve as a Canon of Westminster Abbey: throughout this time he was also Rector of St John's, Smith Square, and he additionally served as Sub-Dean of the Abbey from 1940 until his appointment as a bishop ended all of his Westminster roles. He was also a Chaplain to the King, 1930–1941, and Canon Theologian of
Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...
, 1932–1933. On 10 May 1941, his house at Westminster Abbey, and all his possessions, were destroyed by a bomb while he was on watch at the Abbey.


Episcopal ministry

Barry was appointed Bishop of Southwell, the diocesan bishop ( Ordinary) of the
Diocese of Southwell The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, headed by the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. It covers all the English county of Nottinghamshire and a few parishes in South Yorkshire. It is b ...
in 1941. He was duly consecrated to the episcopate on St Luke's Day, 18 October 1941, at
York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...
, by William Temple,
Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers the ...
. He served there for 22 years before retiring to
Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland, England. It is in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, and is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' to distinguis ...
; he resigned his See in October 1963. During his episcopate, his hearing loss worsened and he suffered depression; he was a notable liberal and theologically progressive on matters such as homosexuality and remarriage of divorcés.


Death and legacy

In retirement, he divided his time between a house in the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...
and a flat in Westminster, where he died on 24 October 1976, following a coronary in June that year. He was buried in Borrowdale churchyard rather than his further cathedral at
Southwell Minster Southwell Minster_(church), Minster, strictly since 1884 Southwell Cathedral, and formally the Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. The cathedral is the s ...
, where there is nonetheless a memorial plaque. He was honoured by the universities of St Andrews and Nottingham and by Lambeth as a Doctor of Divinity. As an academic theologian, he was extensively published; as both writer and preacher, his specialism was the popular exposition of Christianity — his most noted work was ''The Relevance of Christianity'' (1931). In 1923, he was one of the authors — with his friend Mervyn Haigh — of ''A New
Prayer Book A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them are ...
'' (called ''the Grey Book''), one of several proposed drafts in the development of the abortive
1928 prayer book The 1928 ''Book of Common Prayer'', sometimes known as the ''Deposited Book'', is a liturgical book which was proposed as a revised version of the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer (1662), 1662 ''Book of Common Prayer''. Opposing what ...
. Barry also served on the archbishops' commission on doctrine starting in 1923.


References


External links


National Portrait Gallery: Portrait by Walter Stoneman of Russell Barry as Bishop of Southwell, 1946
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Russell 1890 births People educated at Bradfield College Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Academics of King's College London Fellows of King's College London Anglican archdeacons in Africa Bishops of Southwell 20th-century Church of England bishops Holders of a Lambeth degree 1976 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers Honorary chaplains to the King Canons of Westminster