Richard Parsons

Richard Godfrey Parsons (12 November 1882–26 December 1948) was an Anglican bishop who served in three dioceses during the first half of the 20th century, and a renowned liberal scholar.

Parsons was born into a Lancashire family on 12 November 1882 and educated at Durham School and Magdalen College, Oxford. Ordained priest in 1907 he was a curate at Hampstead before four years as Chaplain at University College, Oxford. and Principal of Wells Theological College from 1911-16. He served for one year as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces. Married with two children, he expressed a preference to remain 'at home' and he was posted to '2 General Hospital, London'. He was described as 'Roundfaced'.

Ideally suited to pastoral work, he became Bishop of Middleton, a suffragan bishop appointment, in 1927. During this period he was one of several clerics who made a major contribution to the revision of the Book of Common Prayer. A man with much sympathy to the poor he enjoyed his time at the Diocese of Southwark (1932–41) before translation to Hereford; he legally took the See of Hereford at the confirmation of his election on 12 November 1941 at St Margaret's, Westminster. A devoted family man, he married Dorothy Streeter in 1912. His son died in the siege of Tobruk and he died himself on 26 December 1948 aged 66.