Richard Third

Richard Henry McPhail Third (29 September 1927 – 5 May 2016) was an Anglican bishop in the Church of England.[1]

Richard Third
Bishop of Dover
Diocese	Diocese of Canterbury
In office	1980–1992
Predecessor	Tony Tremlett
Successor	Richard Llewellin
Other posts	Bishop of Maidstone (1976–1980)
Orders
Ordination	1952 (deacon); 1953 (priest)
Consecration	1976
Personal details
Born	27 September 1927
Died	5 May 2016 (aged 88) Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Henry McPhail & Marjorie Third
Spouse	Helen Illingworth (m. 1966)
Children	2 daughters
Alma mater	Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Education

Third was educated at Reigate Grammar School, and then Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he gained a Master of Arts degree,[2] before studying for ordination at Lincoln Theological College.

Ecclesiastical career

He was made a deacon on Trinity Sunday 1952 (8 June),[3] and ordained a priest the following Trinity Sunday (31 May 1953), both times by Bertram Simpson, Bishop of Southwark, at Southwark Cathedral.[4]

He began his ordained ministry as a curate at St Andrew's Mottingham.[5] He was later Vicar of Sheerness,[6] and then the Rural Dean of Orpington, before his ordination to the episcopate as the Bishop of Maidstone in 1976. He was consecrated a bishop on 30 November 1976, by Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Canterbury Cathedral.[7]

He was translated to be the Bishop of Dover in 1980 (after July)[8] to assist Robert Runcie, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, and was the first Bishop of Dover to hold delegated authority to act as the effective diocesan bishop of the diocese, in the absence of the archbishop.[9]

Retirement

He retired in 1992 to the west of England, but had moved to Edinburgh by the time of his death, and he died there on 5 May 2016.[10]

References

1. Debrett’s People of Today: Ed Ellis,P (1992, London, Debtrett's) ISBN 1-870520-09-2)
2. "Third, Richard Henry McPhail". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2016 (April 2014 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 6 January 2017. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
3. "Trinity Ordinations". Church Times (#4662). 13 June 1952. p. 438. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 22 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
4. "Ordinations". Church Times (#4713). 5 June 1953. p. 418. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 22 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
5. Church details
6. Crockford's clerical directory London, Church House 1975 ISBN 0-19-200008-X
7. "Canon is appointed as bishop". Church Times (#5924). 27 August 1976. p. 2. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 18 May 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
8. "Primate's load to be lightened". Church Times (#6121). 6 June 1980. pp. 1 &amp, 20. ISSN 0009-658X.
9. The Times, 3 June 1980; pg. 4; Issue 60641; col B, Church change to ease work of archbishop
10. "Obituary: Richard Henry McPhail Third". Church Times (#7994). 3 June 2016. p. 24. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.