Mr Sumpter, from Beckenham, South London, said: "What are you doing in my car?' She will swap Surrey's North Downs for the Yorkshire Dales and more when she becomes an Episcopal Area Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of . Account managed by @SouthwarkCofE. The Italian revolutionary Garibaldi later visited the brewery staff to personally thank them. First, the undisputed facts: In December 2006, Butler, a noted churchman who regularly appeared on Radio 4's Thought for the Day in his role as bishop of the Anglican diocese of Southwark . He was ordained in 1964 and served in Cambridgeshire, Kent and London, as well as five years as chaplain to the University of Zambia in Lusaka. The Diocese has three Episcopal Areas, Croydon, Kingston and Woolwich each led by an Area Bishop and two Archdeacons. The Rt Rev Tom. Was the Bishop pished out of his prelatial bonce, as witnesses claimed, or was it simply a period of divine intervention which sent him out amongst the people on that famous night? The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, said: "Anna will be a huge gift to the Diocese of Leeds - as she has been to us in Southwark in giving leadership in mission as Oxted Team Rector and serving the Church more widely. . (modern). He was Rector General of the Society of Catholic Priests until October 2017. Butler was consecrated as a bishop on 30 November 1985, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at StPaul's Cathedral,[5] to become area Bishop of Willesden[6] until he was appointed diocesan Bishop of Leicester in 1991 (his election was confirmed on 1 July)[7] and translated to Southwark in 1998. The Globe Tavern, Bedale Street (Borough Market), Shipwrights Inn, Tooley Street (via Bermondsey Street). Was it a vicious mugging, as the Bishop originally told his congregation? Its what I do.). For the south London beer industry, it was truly the end of an era. Even if he was drunk, that does not undo all the good things he has done for us. The finding of the report was that the complaint was sufficiently serious to justify further exploration under the Measure. We are sorry to hear of the bishop's injuries and wish him a speedy recovery.". Archdiocese of Southwark - Kent. Cold, hard facts have, it seems, replaced the warming succour of blind faith and murmured superstition. Enter your password to log in. After you finish running, you will start to write. It's what I do.". [2] [3] Until 1877, Southwark had been part of the Diocese of Winchester when it was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Mr Sumpter apparently said: "Oi, what are you doing in my car?" Dr Butler, a father of two, has claimed the episode was "a very strange story", adding: "There are elements in that story I find extremely difficult - how could I have broken into a locked car and set off the alarm?". There are 175 Parishes within 20 Deaneries across the South of London and Kent, serving a large population of around . Half pints of Guinness and tots of spirits were being dispensed with a generous hand at bars dotted around the ballroom while waiters constantly circulated to top up wine glasses. Let's hope it leads to serious action at last! He served as the General Synod representative on the Inner Cities Religious Council, an initiative set up by the Department of the Environment, until 2001. Bishop Butler has been a member of the episcopate for 21 years and at Southwark for more than eight years. The report in question was a preliminary report, intended merely to assess whether - if true - the allegations made by the complainant would be strong enough to justify proceeding further with the disciplinary process under the Clergy Discipline Measure. The Right Reverend Thomas Frederick Butler, commonly known as Tom Butler, is the current Anglican Bishop of Southwark.Widely regarded as a liberal (he favours the decriminalisation of cannabis for one thing) and whilst not exactly a household name, he is a regular contributor to the Thought For The Day segment on BBC Radio 4's Today . It is a question which might baffle the greatest minds in detective fiction, Father Brown, say, or Brother Cadfael: what happened to the Bishop of Southwark last Tuesday night? Some hours later, the 66-year-old prelate, a regular on Radio 4's Thought For The Day, was found six miles away outside his home, the Bishop's House in Tooting Bec, South London, with a black eye, bloodied, a bump on his head and a number of personal items missing. Totally oblivious to the trail of chaos he had left behind him, he then staggered off under the railway arch towards Holy Rood Street. The Bishop of Southwark has denied being drunk during an incident earlier this month in which he lost his belongings and suffered head injuries.The Rt Rev Tom Butler said today it would have been "He was clearly drunk," Cockburn said later. What he can remember is attending the pre-Christmas reception at the Irish embassy near Buckingham Palace. Thomas Frederick Butler (born 5 March 1940) is a British retired Anglican bishop. [12] He contacted the police claiming that he had been mugged. At this stage, it is claimed that Dr Butler told onlookers he was in fact the Bishop of Woolwich, but the personal belongings he left behind in Mr Sumpters car told a different story a story that was to come out when Sumpter saw press reports of the mugging of a Bishop and came forward with his side of the tale. The Daily Mail has re-examined the evidence in an attempt to solve the mystery of the Bishop's missing hours. The Crown clearly resumed its rights over Southwark, probably when the Bishop of Bayeux was disgraced, but 12th-century grants to the abbey of Bermondsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury (see under 'Manors') and the Count of Mortain must have greatly diminished the rights of the Crown. Bishop Butler has been a member of the episcopate for 21 years and at Southwark for more than eight years. His many interests include theatre, cinema, reading and travel. 2023 Londonist, All rights reserved. The Revd Canon Anna Eltringham, currently the Team Rector for Oxted, in the Diocese of Southwark, will be the new Bishop of Ripon, Downing Street announced this morning. The headline accompanies a story about a report into allegations around an incident last December involving the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Dr Tom Butler. Six months later, an inquiry into the incident was set up by Church of England. The Bishop of Southwark is facing a battle to keep his job after he was apparently found in a tired and emotional state in the back of a stranger's car after a Christmas party. However, under the 2003 Measure, a complaint against a bishop must be brought by someone who has a "proper interest" in the shortcomings of any cleric. A Lambeth Palace spokesman said that Judge Bursell's was a preliminary report, not a judgment, and was written before any evidence was presented on behalf of the Bishop. Fr Gerard Bradley. southwark.anglican.org Joined October 2017. Asked what he was doing, the bishop allegedly told Paul Sumpter: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. A report in today's Times [6th June 2007] is headlined 'Bishop was drunk after Christmas Party, leaked report says' (online version as at 12.35am; wording for other versions may differ). 'Drunken' bishop faces battle to save his job. Catholic state school in turmoil after diocese overrules head and governors to cancel visit by gay author Exclusive The decision by the Archdiocese of Southwark to cancel a talk by author Simon . People are more polite about Hell. So he took the Underground Piccadilly line to Green Park, then the Jubilee line to London Bridge, where he was next seen in Crucifix Lane, close to his place of work, Southwark Cathedral. Box 111Shohola, PA 18458, LONDON: Bishop was drunk after Christmas party, leaked report says. In the preliminary report, Judge Bursell, acting as deputy to the Archbishop's Registar, wrote: "Having analysed the evidence on which you must reach your decision it is my view that there is substantial evidence to support Mr Adams's contention that the bishop was drunk on the night in question. and was told my injuries were consistent with a blow to the head, so I assumed I had been mugged, but that's a supposition", Monday, December 11 As clergy called on their bishop to issue a statement of repentance and regret, he repeated that he had no memory of the episode, Tuesday, December 19 Dr Butler says that being intoxicated would have been "entirely out of character". Five days later, on the afternoon of Tuesday December 5th, the Bishop attended a Christmas party given by the Irish Embassy, which is sited just behind Buckingham Palace in London. That Time The Bishop Of Southwark Went On A Drunken Rampage By Londonist Last edited 53 months ago In an extract from their book, Today South London, Tomorrow South London, ineffable degenerates. Ghostly reminders of famous pubs are found in the alleyways off this thoroughfare: The Tabard, the inn from whence the pilgrims set forth in Chaucers Canterbury Tales; The Queens Head, the sale of which helped fund the establishment of Harvard University in America; and the aforementioned George, likely to have been frequented by William Shakespeare, and a section of which still stands. Bishop of Southwark's Tweets. Contact information Monty Python's Michael Palin and John Cleese discuss their 1979 televised debate on the film Life of Brian, with Roman Catholic journalist and satirist Malcolm Muggeridge and the Bishop of . Its what I do.. Some witnesses say, however, that a man who looked like the bishop was seen getting into the back of an unlocked Mercedes several miles away, south of the river near the cathedral, and some way off his direct route home. The site also included a malt store, coal cellar, furnace, boiler house, cooling room, cooperage, cleaning sheds, cask sheds, offices, stables and an export warehouse on the river Thames, which when demolished, revealed the remains of Roman warehouse that had been used to store beer! @ smithinamerica. To quite figuratively find God in the gutter. There was this story about me being in a car at London Bridge, which I remember absolutely nothing about. Recently, @davidfrum said he never saw anyone as drunk on TV as the Bishop of Southwark when he debated John Cleese & Michael Palin about "Life of Brian" in 1979. Available in paperback or on Kindle, it encourages readers to rediscover their urban surroundings. "I knew already because it was the second time he had told me. In 1904 an Act of Parliament created the new Diocese of Southwark and in 1905 the church became Southwark Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of . It was subsequently suggested in the media that Butler, apparently under the influence of alcohol, had sustained the injury while being removed from a stranger's car into which he had apparently climbed. Nicola Sumpter, who owns the car, said: "My boyfriend and his pal raced outside and were stunned to see a grey-haired man in the back seat. This account already exists. 02/07/2022. Mr Sumpter, who has been interviewed by the police and whose car has been dusted for forensic evidence, told the Sunday Times: "I initially thought he was breaking into my car. Here he managed to set off a car alarm outside the Suchard Bar in the aptly-named Crucifix Lane, a dark and windy outpost by the railway arches of London Bridge. Dr Butler is alleged to have given the memorable reply: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark, it's what I do.". So, in tribute to the seasonal shenanigans, here is Soul City Wanderers own 10-stop pub crawl, one most likely match to Bishop Butlers route on that December evening, together with an alliteratively titled drinking song in tribute. In 2014, Butler was involved in the transition process for the new Diocese of Leeds as "mentor bishop"; he remains an honorary assistant bishop of that diocese. The Right Reverend Tom Butler said he still had amnesia and was having "extensive" medical tests. Each Episcopal Area has a team of staff working with local parishes. A couple of weeks after the incident, the press got wind of the story. "It's very worrying, I still have amnesia." After ordination in 1964,[3] he served three years as a curate in the Diocese of Ely and Diocese of Canterbury before spending 12 years as a lecturer in electronics and a chaplain at the University of Zambia and then at the University of Kent in Canterbury. The bishop, a married father of two, has held the post since 1998 and had previously been bishop of Leicester, where he joined the House of Lords. Tweets. Two people in hospital with one suffering 'serious' injuries after A120 crash that shut . The owner demanded: What are doing in my car? only to be stunned by the now legendary reply: Im the Bishop of Southwark. He said at the time: "It would have been entirely out of character for me to be drunk.". Undeterred by the weight of evidence about his behaviour at the party and in Crucifix Lane, the bishop has started a fresh round of protestations of innocence. One was the King's Bench, and the other the Clink, whence the expression "in the clink." Its site is today recalled by Clink Street, near Southwark Cathedral. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Somehow from here, he found his way back to his residence in deepest south London. However, about half an hour later, he reappeared on the other side of the city, wandering along the dark and desolate streets behind London Bridge railway station, with a bruised face and clearly the worse for wear. We may never know for sure. Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman-Biggs (2 February 1845 - 14 April 1922), until 1898 known as Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman, was an influential Church of England clergyman who served as the only Bishop of Southwark to be a suffragan bishop (in the Diocese of Rochester), the 105th Bishop of Worcester and, latterly, as the inaugural bishop of the restored see of Coventry in the modern era. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. Simon Hughes, Southwark archdiocese's director of education, set out the archdiocese's position on Green's visit in a March 3 statement. Scrooge mentions the beverage in the closing lines of A Christmas Carol. Since mid-2003 the Bishop has represented the Church of England on the central committee of the World Council of Churches. Media. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. So profitable did this venture prove that the sex workers of Southwark came to be known as 'Winchester Geese'. No-one could accuse Bishop Butler of not being able to organise a piss-up for a brewery. He added that medical evidence was submitted which stated that the Bishop's "amnesia is certainly entirely explicable on the basis of his head injuries". Official Twitter feed for the 10th Bishop of Southwark, The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun. However, the only thing now served is local memory. Holy Week Homilies, Letters and Videos 2022. Perhaps trying to cover his tracks, Dr Butler is said to have claimed he was the Bishop of Woolwich as he disappeared off into the night. I remember nothing from the early time of the party until I got home. St Cuthbert's College, Chapel, Ushaw, Durham, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, England. The Bishop of Southwark is mugged outside his frontdoor. Police were informed the following day that his briefcase, spectacles, a mobile phone and papers were missing. Apparently, the Bishops intention was to return to his private residence in south London. I just wish the man would tell the truth. Religion is now characterised as somehow odd, out of touch, even elitist. The suggestion in the headline that the report has concluded that the Bishop was drunk is completely misleading. The police had turned a blind eye and taken no further action. He denied being drunk and maintained he was mugged. Your Southwark Cathedral Newsletter - 8 April 2023 - mailchi.mp/southwark/week . He has served as a member of the Crown Nominations Commission since 2011. A few days later, Mr Sumpter's wife allegedly discovered Mr Butler's briefcase in the car. Butler has been active at national and international level. In fact, it took place a good walking mile away in Belgravia. The western part of the parish probably became more populous . What happened between the party and his doorstep remains the subject of a number of bizarre and conflicting accounts. These are events not noted for their abstemiousness. The bishop personally chooses you to bring our family chain back to Sovage. Resplendent in ecclesiastical red shirt and pin-striped suit, the Right Reverend Thomas Frederick Butler, one of the Church of England's most senior bishops, introduced himself to the majority present - some of them twice - with the words: "I am the Bishop of Southwark.". At 7pm, he made his way by public transport to the Irish Embassy near Buckingham Palace for the ambassador's traditional Christmas soiree, where he and the other guests were greeted by a string quartet playing in the impressive entrance hall. Given his status and position as a pillar of society, the police took the complaint very seriously and launched an immediate investigation. She confirmed he had been drinking at the Irish Embassy but declined to comment when asked if the Bishop had been drunk. Might I suggest that Sean . Let us know here. "I told him that there wasn't a simple one, but he asked the same question again and continued to hang on to my arm for about five or six minutes. He began a ceremony for a new priests' institution at All Saints Church in south London by apologising to the 300-strong congregation, saying that the mitre no longer fitted his bruised head because he had "apparently been mugged". And sometimes, not on the route. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. By Matthew Beard THE INDEPENDENT December 11, 2006. Change). . "; The bishop suffered a badly bruised head in the incident, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire, Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit, Tourists flock to 'Jesus's tomb' in Kashmir. Less than five hours later he arrived at his home in Tooting with head wounds, bruises and a black eye. One such thing may be how the bishop's briefcase appears to have turned up in the office of a tabloid newspaper before being handed to the police. They say they found a white-haired man wearing a cassock under a black cloak, sitting in the rear seat. It's what I do.". Stockwood wasnt averse to be seen with the demon in public places either. A leading conservative Anglican has warned the Church of England could split if an openly gay man is appointed Bishop of Southwark. Its what I do, the phrase that now accompanies the yuletide raising of glasses throughout the area. And the man who was to become the central figure in an ensuing mystery which has been a talking point in pews and bars throughout the land, was making sure everyone there noticed him. And just 10 weeks before his thanksgiving mass, the last ale had been brewed at the famous Youngs brewery in Wandsworth. The situation calmed and the Bishop flopped down on the kerb, ignoring all offers of assistance. "I had a drink," he added. On the night of his alleged drunkenness in 2006, the bishop returned home to Tooting Bec from a reception at the Irish embassy in Mayfair with a black eye but without his crucifix, briefcase and mobile phone. "It was not like he had been punched but more like he had scratched his face against a wall or had fallen over". [12] The incident has become legendary due to the detail which suggested he was throwing Christmas gifts from the car whilst saying 'I am the Bishop of Southwark, it's what I do'. I have seen clergymen drink before but never so openly. Get a bi-weekly summary of Anglican news from around the world. One, who prefers to remain nameless, says: "He came shuffling over and said: 'I am the Bishop of Southwark'. In the light of the further evidence . On Tuesday, December 5, the Bishop of Southwark delivered the eulogy at Southwark . (LogOut/ A diplomatic incident occurred here in 1849 when the visiting brutal Austrian dictator General Haynau was attacked by employees. He seemed a bit absent-minded rather than drunk but he was going up to everyone, telling them who he was.". Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 'Drunken' bishop faces battle to save his job, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Get up to 10% off using the Booking.com app, 50 off over 650 using this Expedia discount code, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected product with this eBay voucher code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK May 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this May, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. I am hoping the police will be able to be clearer.". "It is also my view that such drunkenness (if it occurred) was more serious because of the Bishop's office in the Church," he said. Now, Southwark is a place close to the heart of the Soul City Wanderer. He can be forgiven, but he can't carry on as bishop. Hearing his car alarm go off, a Mr Paul Sumpter, who was playing pool in the bar, dashed outside to investigate. English Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark and diocesan education authorities intervened to protect the school's integrity and insist that the event be dropped. He added: "It would be entirely out of character if I was drunk," before broadcasting a Christmas message of mercy and love as his Thought For The Day. The address of the Bishops residence, his final stop, was also incorrect. Read More. It was a major attraction with over 10,000 visitors a month. Dr Butler warmed to his theme on the radio, saying: "It's very worrying, I still have amnesia. It was Mervyn Stockwood, Bishop of Southwark from 1959-1980, who first cemented the image of the mashed mitre in the Anglican arena. VirtueOnline is the Anglican Communion's largest Biblically Orthodox Online News Service, read by more than 4,000,000 readers in 170 countries each year. Speaking publicly for the first time about 'the incident' on the Radio 4 Today programme, he said that he never had more than two glasses of wine at social functions, but avoided answering John Humphrys's question about what he drank that night. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. "Why can't he be honest and admit to being drunk? Ever since medieval times, hops had been carted up the Old Kent Road to the London marketplace. The Bishop was seen throwing children's toys out of the window of a stranger's car and, when challenged, is reported to have said: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark - it's what I do.". John Adams, a former churchwarden from Croydon, submitted a formal complaint against his bishop, who was found bloodied with a black eye and a bump on the head outside Bishop's House in Streatham, South London, several hours after leaving the Irish Embassy last December. . Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. The main contribution of staff is to effectively provide a customer support service for parishes. It was one of the largest gatherings of British beer industry heavyweights that had ever been seen, and as likely, would ever be seen again. The astonished Mr Sumpter says the bishop was "aggressive and arrogant" and appeared so drunk he was "completely out of it and paralytic". MicroData Summary for Philip Robert Moger. Tel: 020 7939 9420 He was the ninth Anglican Bishop of Southwark. The bishop suffered a badly bruised head Police have said they are not treating an incident involving the Bishop of Southwark as a mugging. However, what could not be disputed, was that the Bishops antics of that fateful evening were now being sown into legend. Others say he was seen sitting in the back of a Mercedes chucking children's toys out of the window and announcing: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. With the help of the bar manager, the prelate was hauled out of the vehicle, and a fractious street argument followed as a group of onlookers gathered. He entered the House of Lords in 1997. We were laughing because he was staggering so much as he walked off.". "Asked to explain himself, he is claimed to have said: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. T he Bishop of Southwark, who hit the headlines over an alleged drunken episode, today announced he will resign next year. Lords Spiritual. Police examination of the car found it has a fault with its central locking device which leaves the back door unlocked. Arthur Mervyn Stockwood, priest: born Bridgend, Glamorgan 27 May 1913; ordained deacon 1936, priest 1937; Assistant Curate, St Matthew, Moorfields 1936-41, Vicar 1941-55; Vicar . Shakespeares Local. It's what I do." Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. It comes as a result of a misunderstanding of 1) what the report, prepared by Chancellor Bursell, is intended to address, 2) the stage it represents in the procedures of clergy discipline, and 3) the untested nature of the allegations which were set out in the complaint. What happened in between has been the source of much conjecture, with the Bishop initially reporting to the police that he had been mugged somewhere between the Embassy and his home, but later stating that, in fact, he had absolutely no recollection of the period in question and may have experienced some sort of blackout.