View source for John Simkin

{{Short description|New Zealand bishop}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
'''Wilfred John Simkin''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CMG}} (15 June 1883  – 8 July 1967) was the 6th [[Anglican]] Bishop of [[Anglican Diocese of Auckland|Auckland]] whose [[episcopate]] spanned a 20-year period during the middle of the 20th century.<ref>[[The Times]], Friday, 10 June 1960; pg. 11; Issue 54794; col C ''Resignation of the Bishop of Auckland''</ref> Born in [[Staffordshire]] he was educated at St. Oswald's School, (later [[Ellesmere College]], [[Ellesmere, Shropshire]]<ref>Davidson (ed.), ''Living Legacy: a History of the Diocese of Auckland, 208''</ref>)  and [[Lichfield Theological College]]<ref>[[Who's Who|"Who was Who" 1897–1990]] London, [[A & C Black]], 1991 {{ISBN|0-7136-3457-X}}</ref> before embarking on an [[ecclesiastical]] career with a [[curacy]] at '' Christ Church, Stafford''.<ref>[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Stafford/ChristChurch/index.html Parish details]</ref> Emigrating to [[New Zealand]] in 1911 he was successively [[Vicar]] of [[Wairoa]], [[Chaplain|Private Chaplain]] to the Bishop of [[Diocese of Waiapu|Waiapu]] and [[Archdeacon of Hawkes Bay]]/Manukau before appointment to the [[Episcopal See|See]] of [[Anglican Diocese of Auckland|Auckland]] in 1940. He was consecrated bishop on 11 June 1940.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://anglicat.kinderlibrary.ac.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=399552 | title=Order of ceremonial for the consecration of the Ven. William John Simkin, L.Th., Archdeacon of Manukau, as Bishop of the Diocese of Auckland: In the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, Auckland, on the Feast of Saint Barnabas, June 11th, 1940 at 10 a.m | year=1940 }}</ref> An enigmatic man,<ref>[http://www.holy-trinity.org.nz/163.php Diocesan Profile]</ref> he worked tirelessly to complete the building of [[Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland|Holy Trinity Cathedral]].

In the [[1965 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|1965 Queen's Birthday Honours]], Simkin was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]], for services to the community.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=43669 |date=12 June 1965 |page=5513 |supp=3}}</ref>

==References==
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{{succession box|title=[[Anglican Diocese of Auckland|Bishop of Auckland, NZ]]|before=[[Alfred Walter Averill]]|after=[[Eric Austin Gowing]]|years=1940–1960}}
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{{Anglican Bishops of Auckland, NZ}}

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[[Category:1883 births]]
[[Category:People from Rugeley]]
[[Category:Anglican archdeacons in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Anglican bishops of Auckland]]
[[Category:English emigrants to New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Alumni of Lichfield Theological College]]


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