Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service

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. Chaplains are recruited from a number of Christian denominations.

The senior chaplain in the Royal Navy is currently the Venerable Ian Wheatley QHC. Wheatley, an Anglican priest, is also the Archdeacon for the Royal Navy. He took over from the Reverend Scott Brown CBE who retired after 22 years service.^[1]

Training

Chaplains undergo training at Britannia Royal Naval College alongside other Royal Navy officer cadets. After completing the course they may opt to earn their "Dolphins" and serve in the Submarine Service or the green beret (upon completion of the All Arms Commando Course) and serve with the Royal Marines.

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^[2] and was also the Inspector of Naval Schools. When an Anglican priest serves as the Chaplain of the Fleet (as was always the case until 1998), the chaplain is also the Archdeacon for the Royal Navy; otherwise, the archdiaconal title belongs to the slightly junior principal Anglican chaplain.

Service on the battleship HMS Cumberland, November 1942

• 1859–1865: Unknown
• 1865–1871: William Guise-Tucker^[3]
• 1871–1875: Unknown
• 23 November 1876–1882 (retd): John Cawston^[4][5]
• 1882–1888: John Harbord^[6]
• 1888–17 January 1899 (retd): John Cox-Edwards^[7][8]
• 1899–1 March 1901 (retd): John Berry^[9]
• 1901–6 October 1906 (retd): Stuart Harris^[10]
• 1906–1 December 1917 (retd): Hugh Wood^[11][12]
• 1917–1924: Charles Ingles^[13]
• 1924–29 January 1929 (retd): Robert McKew^[14]
• 1929–1933: Walter Knight-Adkin^[15]
• 1933–1935: Charles Peshall^[16]
• 1935–4 October 1938 (retd): Arthur Gilbertson^[17][18]
• 1938–1943: Thomas Crick^[19]
• 1943–1947: John Wilson
• 1947–15 May 1952: Leonard Coulshaw^[20][21]
• 1952–1956: Noel Chamberlain
• 1956–1960: Darrell Bunt
• 1960–5 March 1963 (retd): John Armstrong^[22]
• 15 May 1963–18 March 1966 (retd): Raymond Richardson^[22][23]
• 18 March 1966–6 May 1969: Christopher Prior^[23][24]
• 8 April 1969–9 June 1972 (retd): Ambrose Weekes^[25][26]
• 14 April 1972 – 1975: Chandos Morgan^[27]
• 4 December 1975 – 1980: Basil O'Ferrall^[28]
• 28 March 1980 – 1984: Raymond Roberts^[29]
• 11 June 84–1989: Noël Jones^[30]
• 1989–1993: Michael Henley
• 1993–1997: Michael Bucks
• 1997–1998: Simon Golding^[31]
• 1998–2000: Charles Stewart (Church of Scotland)
  • Archdeacons for the Royal Navy
    • 1998–2000: Simon Golding (Principal Anglican Chaplain)^[31]
• 2000–2002: Simon Golding^[31]
• 2002–2006: Barry Hammett
• 2006–2010: John Green^[32]
• 2010–2014: Scott J Brown (Church of Scotland)^[32][33]
  • Archdeacons for the Royal Navy
    • 2010–2012: Martin Poll (Deputy Chaplain of the Fleet & Principal Anglican Chaplain)^[34]
    • 2012–2014: Ian Wheatley (Deputy Chaplain of the Fleet & Principal Anglican Chaplain)^[35][36]
• 2014-present: Ian Wheatley^[37]

See also

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

References

1. http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/january/05/150105-chaplain-of-fleet-retires
2. The London Gazette: no. 22268. p. 2107. 27 May 1859. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
3. Malta Family History – Army, Navy and Air Force Chaplains 1800–1960
4. The London Gazette: no. 24386. p. 6301. 24 November 1876. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
5. The Times, 7 March 1900, page 6
6. The London Gazette: no. 25777. p. 420. 14 January 1888. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
7. The London Gazette: no. 26720. p. 1612. 10 March 1896. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
8. The London Gazette: no. 27047. p. 603. 31 January 1899. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
9. The London Gazette: no. 27291. p. 1578. 10 December 1909. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
10. The London Gazette: no. 27956. p. 6790. 9 October 1906. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
11. The London Gazette: no. 28316. p. 9414. 10 December 1909. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
12. The London Gazette: no. 30417. p. 12812. 7 December 1917. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
13. The London Gazette: no. 32846. p. 4988. 20 July 1923. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
14. The London Gazette: no. 33166. p. 3455. 28 May 1926. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
15. The London Gazette: no. 33506. p. 3943. 14 June 1929. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
16. The London Gazette: no. 34043. p. 2545. 20 April 1934. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
17. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 34279. p. 2767. 29 April 1936. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
18. The London Gazette: no. 34560. p. 6338. 11 October 1938. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
19. The London Gazette: no. 34814. p. 1629. 19 March 1940. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
20. The London Gazette: no. 38189. p. 662. 27 January 1948. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
21. The London Gazette: no. 39606. p. 3999. 25 July 1952. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
22. The London Gazette: no. 42972. p. 3378. 19 April 1963. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
23. The London Gazette: no. 43836. p. 11545. 10 December 1965. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
24. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44805. p. 2629. 7 March 1969. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
25. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44754. p. 13908. 30 December 1968. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
26. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45626. p. 3439. 20 March 1972. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
27. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45510. p. 11849. 1 November 1971. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
28. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46747. p. 14941. 24 November 1975. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
29. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 48130. p. 4155. 17 March 1980. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
30. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49800. p. 9431. 9 July 1984. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
31. ‘GOLDING, Ven. Simon Jefferies’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 accessed 25 November 2012
32. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59593. p. 21037. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
33. Royal Navy – Chaplain of the Fleet (Retrieved 7 June 2012)
34. ‘POLL, Ven. Martin George’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 accessed 25 November 2012
35. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60255. p. 16941. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
36. Defence Anglicans (Australia) – Prayer Diary 2013 (Accessed 3 May 2013)
37. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 61084. p. 24746. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 06 February 2015.

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

External links

• RN Chaplaincy Services - Royal Navy official website