Biography.guide
Home › People › Anglican priest › Harry Woollcombe
Portrait of Harry Woollcombe

Harry Woollcombe

1869 – 1941

Bishop of Selby; Bishop of Whitby

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Harry Woollcombe

Lived 1869 – 1941 (aged 71). Harry Woollcombe was an anglican priest.

Henry St John Stirling Woollcombe (27 December 1869 – 1 December 1941) was the inaugural Bishop of Whitby from 1923 until 1939, and also of Selby. Born into a clerical family, he was educated at Clifton College and Keble College, Oxford, before being ordained in 1895. After a curacy in Stepney, he became head of the Oxford House University Settlement in nearby Bethnal Green. A brief spell as chaplain to Cosmo Gordon Lang (Archbishop of York) was followed by a decade as the parish priest of Armley. Promotion to be the Sub Dean of Diocese of Coventry in 1922 was swiftly followed by elevation to the episcopate. After 16 years at Whitby, he made a sideways move to become Bishop of Selby, a post he held for 18 months. His Times obituary noted his capacity for "getting on with and getting the best out of all conditions of men".

His grandson, Humphrey Smith, was the owner of Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Keble College, Clifton College
Positions held
Bishop of Whitby, Bishop of Selby
Also known as
Henry St John Stirling Woollcombe, Rt. Rev. Henry St. John Stirling Woollcombe

People in Harry Woollcombe's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Harry Woollcombe's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Harry Woollcombe?

Bishop of Selby; Bishop of Whitby (1869-1941)

When was Harry Woollcombe born?

Harry Woollcombe was born on 27 December 1869.

When did Harry Woollcombe die?

Harry Woollcombe died on 1 December 1941.

What was Harry Woollcombe's occupation?

Harry Woollcombe was an anglican priest.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Harry Woollcombe

· Wikidata: Q5673532

· DBpedia: Harry Woollcombe

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harry Woollcombe. https://biography.guide/harry-woollcombe/

MLA: "Harry Woollcombe." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harry-woollcombe/.

Chicago: "Harry Woollcombe." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harry-woollcombe/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:10 UTC