Merivale Molyneux

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Merivale Molyneux
Bishop of Melanesia
Frederick Merivale Molyneux.jpg
DioceseDiocese of Melanesia
In office1928–1931
PredecessorJohn Steward
SuccessorWalter Baddeley
Other post(s)Assistant Bishop of Melanesia (1924–1928)
Orders
Ordination1909 (deacon); 1911 (priest)
by William Boyd Carpenter
Consecration9 August 1925
by Alfred Averill
Personal details
Born(1885-05-10)10 May 1885
Bransgore, Hampshire, UK
Died20 November 1948(1948-11-20) (aged 63)
Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe
BuriedBransgore, Hampshire, UK
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglican
ParentsFrederick (a priest)
Alma materKeble College, Oxford

Frederick Merivale Molyneux (called Merivale;[1] 10 May 1885 – 20 November 1948)[2] was a British Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of Melanesia.

Family and education[]

Born at Bransgore,[1] Molyneux was the son of Rosa[3] and Frederick Molyneux (a priest) and grandson of lawyer Echlin Molyneux; he was younger brother to Ernest, also a priest, who served as his commissary in Britain (1928–1932). Merivale was educated at Rossall School, and Keble College, Oxford[2] (he graduated Bachelor of Arts {BA} in 1908 and proceeded Master of Arts (Oxford) {MA Oxon} in 1913),[1] and trained for the ministry at Cuddesdon College.[2]

Early ministry[]

He was made deacon at Advent 1909 (18 December)[4] and ordained priest at Lent 1911 (12 March) — both times by William Boyd Carpenter, Bishop of Ripon, at Ripon Cathedral.[5] His title (curacy) was of All Souls' Leeds, until 1913, when he returned to Cuddesdon as college Chaplain. During this time (the Great War), he was also a Chaplain to the Forces (CF) in Mesopotamia (1916–19): for which he was mentioned in despatches,[2] made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (3 June 1918)[6] and an honorary chaplain to the forces (Hon CF) in 1919. He had been in Mesopotamia for 3 years other than for 6 months leave in 1918 spent in Ceylon. He had spent much of his commission working in hospitals[7]He served as Vicar of High Wycombe from 1920.[2]

Melanesia[]

On 14 July 1924, the Melanesian Mission committee in England recommended Molyneux to the New Zealand bishops and John Steward, Bishop of Melanesia, for appointment as an assistant bishop of that diocese; by April 1925, when Thomas Strong, Bishop of Oxford, presented him with a crozier at High Wycombe, that recommendation had been accepted, and he was duly consecrated a bishop on 9 August 1925 by Alfred Averill, Archbishop of New Zealand in St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington.[1] Molyneux then served as Assistant Bishop of Melanesia from 1925 to 1928:[2] initially, he had responsibility for the Southern Archdeaconery (based in Lolowai, Aoba (now called Ambae), but lived primarily in the Banks Islands; however, as Steward's health declined, Molyneux increasingly assisted him throughout the diocese.[1]

Steward having announced his imminent resignation (due to ill-health), on 13 June 1928 the diocesan synod unanimously chose to nominate Molyneux for the diocesan See;[1] Steward having resigned effective 1 August,[8] the New Zealand bishops elected Molyneux on 16 August, and he was enthroned at , Siota on 13 November. His assistant bishop Edward Wilton having resigned 1 July 1929,[9] Molyneux he wrote to the Mission committee on 8 October 1930 to ask for a new assistant bishop;[1] in 1931, John Dickinson became assistant bishop for the Southern area.[10]

Return to Britain[]

In the midst of allegations of "improper conduct with young men" and "concerns about erotic involvements with men", he experienced a "complete nervous breakdown", resigned his See in November 1931, and left the Solomon Islands. He arrived back in Britain in January 1932, where he retired to Hampshire — initially with his father at Martyr Worthy rectory. Cyril Garbett, Bishop of Winchester, declined to licensed the younger Molyneux to any ministry;[1] he became a farmer.[3] He died at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe and was buried at Bransgore.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Blain, Michael. Blain Biographical Directory of Anglican clergy in the South Pacific – ordained before 1932 (2019) pp. 1064–8 (Accessed at Project Canterbury, 27 June 2019)
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Molyneux, Frederick Merivale". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. December 2007. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ a b "Molyneux, Frederick Merivale - Biographical entry - Solomon Islands Encyclopaedia, 1893-1978".
  4. ^ "The Advent ordinations". Church Times. No. 2448. 23 December 1909. p. 862. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 27 June 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  5. ^ "Lent ordinations". Church Times. No. 2512. 17 March 1911. p. 365. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 27 June 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.
  6. ^ "No. 13355". The Edinburgh Gazette. 22 November 1918. p. 4276.
  7. ^ TNA Service Record WO374/48337
  8. ^ Blain. p. 1461.
  9. ^ Blain. pp. 1716–18.
  10. ^ Blain. p. 426.
Anglican Communion titles
Preceded by Bishop of Melanesia
1928–1931 		Succeeded by
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