David Bentley

David Edward Bentley (7 August 1935 – 4 March 2020) was an English bishop. He was first the Bishop of Lynn and, subsequently, the Bishop of Gloucester in the Church of England.

Early life and education The son of William Bentley and his wife Florence Dalgleish, Bentley was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School and the University of Leeds, where he graduated BA in English literature. He studied for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge.

Ordained ministry Bentley was ordained in 1961. He began his ordained ministry as a curate at St Ambrose's Bristol and Holy Trinity with St Mary in Guildford; after which he was rector of Headley, East Hampshire, Rural Dean of Esher and (his final position before ordination to the episcopate) Warden of the Community of All Hallows, Ditchingham.

He was consecrated as a bishop on 22 July 1986, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral. On retirement he moved to Lichfield where he was an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield. His two sons in law are Suffragan Bishops.

Private life In 1962, Bentley married Clarice Lahmers, and they had two sons and two daughters.