Tony Tremlett (bishop)

Bishop Tony Tremlett (extreme right) at the baptism of one of his 26 Godsons.

Anthony Paul "Tony" Tremlett (14 May 1914 – 22 August 1992) was an Anglican Bishop in the second half of the 20th century.^[1]

Education & private life

Tremlett was educated at King's School, Bruton and King's College, Cambridge^[2] before studying for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon. He remained unmarried and single throughout his life, although he had twenty-six godchildren (all boys) with all of whom he stayed in regular contact. Following his retirement in 1980,^[3] he lived with a resident Housekeeper in the Cotswold town of Northleach, where he died on 22 August 1992.

Church career

He began his career with a curacy at St Barnabas, Northolt^[4] from where he rose steadily in the Church hierarchy. During World War II he was mentioned in despatches as a chaplain to the Forces,^[2] and then served as Domestic Chaplain to Fabian Menteath Elliot Jackson, the Bishop of Trinidad before another chaplaincy, this time at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was then Vicar of St Stephen with St John, Westminster^[5] before his elevation to the Episcopate as Bishop of Dover in 1964.^[6] He retired in 1980.^[3]

He acquired a positive reputation for being skilled in encouraging vocations to ordination amongst young men, and 50 ordinands and priests whose vocations he had personally encouraged clubbed together to purchase his episcopal regalia on his elevation to the episcopate.^[7] Nonetheless, in retirement he often bemoaned the fact that, despite his careful prayers, only one of his 26 godsons took Holy Orders.^[8] During his retirement he served as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester, and as an honorary assistant priest at Northleach parish church. He also officiated daily at his own private chapel, in his home "Doctors Commons".

Styles

• Mr Anthony Paul Tremlett (1914-1938)
• The Reverend Anthony Paul Tremlett (1938-1941)
• The Reverend Anthony Paul Tremlett CF (1941-1964)
• The Right Reverend Anthony Paul Tremlett (1964-1992)

References

1. Portraits of Anthony Paul Tremlett at the National Portrait Gallery, London
2. Who's Who 1970 London, A & C Black, 1971 ISBN 0-7136-1140-5
3. The Times, Tuesday, Jun 03, 1980; pg. 4; Issue 60641; col B Bishop of Dover to retire
4. Church photo
5. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975-76 London: Oxford University Press, 1976 ISBN 0-19-200008-X
6. The Times, Monday, Aug 31, 1964; pg. 10; Issue 56104; col F New Bishop of Dover
7. Details of this gift are recorded in his obituary by Lorna Kendall in The Independent newspaper, available here.
8. See reference at this parish church website.