Peter Firth (bishop)

The Rt Revd Peter Firth MA(Cantab) DipEd
Bishop of Malmesbury
Diocese	Diocese of Bristol
In office	1983–1994
Predecessor	Freddy Temple
Successor	Michael Doe as Bishop of Swindon
Other post(s)	Honorary assistant bishop in Gloucester (2003–2024)
Orders
Ordination	1955 (deacon); 1956 (priest)
Consecration	30 November 1983 by Robert Runcie
Personal details
Born	(1929-07-12)12 July 1929
Died	16 February 2024(2024-02-16) (aged 94)
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Atkinson and Edith Pepper
Spouse	Felicity Wilding (m. 1955)
Children	Two sons, three daughters
Alma mater	Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Peter James Firth (12 July 1929 – 16 February 2024) was an English Anglican clergyman who was the Bishop suffragan of Malmesbury from 1983 until 1994.

Biography

Born on 12 July 1929, [1] Firth was educated at Stockport Grammar School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford, and was ordained deacon in 1955 and priest in 1956.[2] He was a curate at St Stephen's Barbourne.[3] Following this he was priest in charge at the Church of the Ascension, Malvern and then Rector of St George's Gorton and in the early 1960's was a regular contributor to religious broadcasts at BBC Manchester. From 1967 to 1983 he worked in various capacities for the Religious Broadcasting Unit at BBC South West.[4] He was ordained to the episcopate by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, on 30 November 1983 at Southwark Cathedral.[5] He retired in 1994 and was an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Gloucester.

Firth died on 16 February 2024, at the age of 94.[6]

References

1. ”Who's Who 1992 “(London, A & C Black ISBN 0-7136-3514-2)
2. Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-74, 85th Edition, p. 315.
3. “Crockford's clerical directory, 1995” (Lambeth,Church House ISBN 0-7151-8088-6)
4. ”Debrett's People of Today 1992” (London, Debrett's) ISBN 1-870520-09-2)
5. "New bishop consecrated". Church Times. No. 6303. 2 December 1983. p. 3. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 18 February 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
6. "Church Times: Deaths, 23 February 2024". Retrieved 25 February 2024.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Freddy Temple	Bishop of Malmesbury 1983–1994	Succeeded by Michael Doe as Bishop of Swindon