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Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service

Topic: Religion

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 5 min

Short description: Chaplaincy Service for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy Chaplain insignia

The Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service provides chaplains to the Royal Navy. The chaplains are commissioned by the Sovereign but do not hold military rank other than that of "Chaplain Royal Navy". They are usually addressed as Padre, Reverend or more informally Bish. The majority of Chaplains are recruited from a number of Christian denominations, however to better reflect the changing demographics of the United Kingdom and HM forces, as already established in the NHS, HM Prisons and UK Universities, the Ministry of Defence announced in November 2023 it would begin recruiting Non-Religious Pastoral Support Officers in 2024.[1]

The senior chaplain in the Royal Navy is the Chaplain of the Fleet, the current post holder being The Venerable Andrew Hillier KHC, an Anglican priest, who is also the Archdeacon for the Royal Navy.

Training

Chaplains join the Royal Navy as experienced clergy of their denomination. They undergo naval training at Britannia Royal Naval College alongside other Royal Navy officer cadets. Those serving with the Royal Marines may be selected to attempt commando training: if successful they become Royal Navy Commandos and wear the Commando green beret and, on No 1 uniform, the Commando Dagger badge. Those who serve with the Submarine Service may earn their submarine service "Dolphins".

Chaplains of the Fleet

The role of Chaplain of the Fleet, being Head of the Naval Chaplains, was established on 13 May 1859, and was originally attached to the role of Senior Chaplain at Greenwich Hospital[1] and was also the Inspector of Naval Schools. An Order in Council issued by King Edward VII in August 1902 granted the ecclesiastical dignity of archdeacon on the Chaplain of the Fleet.[2]

Thomas Ken was appointed Chaplain of the Fleet by King Charles II in 1683.[3]
Divine service as it is usually performed on board a British frigate at sea (circa 1836).
Service on the cruiser HMS Cumberland, November 1942
  • 1859–1865: Unknown
  • 1865–1871: William Guise-Tucker[4]
  • 1871–1876: Unknown
  • 23 November 1876 – 1882 (retd): John Cawston[5][6]
  • 1882–1888: John Harbord[7]
  • 1888 – 17 January 1899 (retd): John Cox-Edwards[8][9]
  • 1899 – 1 March 1901 (retd): John Berry[10]
  • 1901 – 6 October 1906 (retd): Stuart Harris[11]
  • 1906 – 1 December 1917 (retd): Hugh Wood[12][13]
  • 1917–1924: Charles Ingles[14]
  • 1924 – 29 January 1929 (retd): Robert McKew[15]
  • 1929–1933: Walter Knight-Adkin[16]
  • 1933–1935: Charles Peshall[17]
  • 1935 – 4 October 1938 (retd): Arthur Gilbertson[18][19]
  • 1938–1943: Thomas Crick[20]
  • 1943–1947: John Wilson
  • 1947 – 15 May 1952: Leonard Coulshaw[21][22]
  • 1952–1956: Noel Chamberlain
  • 1956–1960: Darrell Bunt
  • 1960 – 5 March 1963 (retd): John Armstrong[23]
  • 15 May 1963 – 18 March 1966 (retd): Raymond Richardson[23][24]
  • 18 March 1966 – 6 May 1969: Christopher Prior[24][25]
  • 8 April 1969 – 9 June 1972 (retd): Ambrose Weekes[26][27]
  • 14 April 1972 – 1975: Chandos Morgan[28]
  • 4 December 1975 – 1980: Basil O'Ferrall[29]
  • 28 March 1980 – 1984: Raymond Roberts[30]
  • 11 June 1984 – 1989: Noël Jones[31]
  • 1989–1994: Michael Henley
  • 1994–1997: Michael Bucks
  • 1997–1999: Simon Golding[32]
  • 1999–2000: Charles Stewart
  • 2000–2002: Simon Golding[32]
  • 2002–2006: Barry Hammett
  • 2006–2010: John Green[33]
  • 2010–2014: Scott J. Brown[33][34]
  • 2014–2018: Ian Wheatley[35]
  • 2018–2021: Martyn Gough
  • 22 June 2021[36] – present: Andrew Hillier[37]

See also

  • Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch
  • Royal Army Chaplains' Department

References

  1. ↑ No. 22268. 27 May 1859. p. 2107. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22268/page/2107 
  2. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (London) (36904): p. 5. 21 October 1902. 
  3. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Ken, Thomas". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 726–727. 
  4. ↑ "Malta Family History – Army, Navy and Air Force Chaplains 1800–1960". http://website.lineone.net/~remosliema/anchaplains.htm. 
  5. ↑ No. 24386. 24 November 1876. p. 6301. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24386/page/6301 
  6. ↑ The Times, 7 March 1900, page 6
  7. ↑ No. 25777. 14 January 1888. p. 420. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25777/page/420 
  8. ↑ No. 26720. 10 March 1896. p. 1612. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26720/page/1612 
  9. ↑ No. 27047. 31 January 1899. p. 603. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27047/page/603 
  10. ↑ No. 27291. 15 March 1901. p. 1578. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27291/page/1578 
  11. ↑ No. 27956. 9 October 1906. p. 6790. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27956/page/6790 
  12. ↑ No. 28316. 10 December 1909. p. 9414. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28316/page/9414 
  13. ↑ No. 30417. 7 December 1917. p. 12812. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30417/page/12812 
  14. ↑ No. 32846. 20 July 1923. p. 4988. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32846/page/4988 
  15. ↑ No. 33166. 28 May 1926. p. 3455. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33166/page/3455 
  16. ↑ No. 33506. 14 June 1929. p. 3943. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33506/page/3943 
  17. ↑ No. 34043. 20 April 1934. p. 2545. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34043/page/2545 
  18. ↑ No. 34279. 29 April 1936. p. 2767. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34279/supplement/2767 
  19. ↑ No. 34560. 11 October 1938. p. 6338. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34560/page/6338 
  20. ↑ No. 34814. 19 March 1940. p. 1629. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34814/page/1629 
  21. ↑ No. 38189. 27 January 1948. p. 662. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38189/page/662 
  22. ↑ No. 39606. 25 July 1952. p. 3999. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39606/page/3999 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 No. 42972. 19 April 1963. p. 3378. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42972/page/3378 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 No. 43836. 10 December 1965. p. 11545. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43836/page/11545 
  25. ↑ No. 44805. 7 March 1969. p. 2629. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44805/supplement/2629 
  26. ↑ No. 44754. 30 December 1968. p. 13908. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44754/supplement/13908 
  27. ↑ No. 45626. 20 March 1972. p. 3439. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45626/supplement/3439 
  28. ↑ No. 45510. 1 November 1971. p. 11849. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45510/supplement/11849 
  29. ↑ No. 46747. 24 November 1975. p. 14941. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46747/supplement/14941 
  30. ↑ No. 48130. 17 March 1980. p. 4155. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/48130/supplement/4155 
  31. ↑ No. 49800. 9 July 1984. p. 9431. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49800/supplement/9431 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 ‘GOLDING, Ven. Simon Jefferies’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 accessed 25 November 2012
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 No. 59593. 1 November 2010. p. 21037. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59593/supplement/21037 
  34. ↑ Royal Navy – Chaplain of the Fleet (Retrieved 7 June 2012)
  35. ↑ No. 61084. 23 December 2014. p. 24746. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/61084/supplement/24746 
  36. ↑ "Court Circular". 21 June 2021. https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=hillier&mrf=&date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=22%2F05%2F2021&date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=22%2F07%2F2022&id=. 
  37. ↑ Naval Chaplaincy Service [@of_fleet] (16 July 2021). "Today saw the departure of Ven Martyn Gough as Chaplain of the Fleet & succeeded by Rev Andrew Hillier.". https://twitter.com/of_fleet/status/1416018240317296643. 

Further reading

  • Bergen, Doris. L., (ed), 2004. The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century. University of Notre Dame Press ISBN 0-268-02176-7




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