David Peter Wilcox (born 29 June 1930) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Dorking, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Guildford.[1]


David Wilcox
Bishop of Dorking
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseDiocese of Guildford
In office1986–1995
PredecessorKenneth Evans
SuccessorIan Brackley
Other post(s)Honorary assistant bishop in Diocese of Chichester (1995–present)
Orders
Ordination1954 (deacon); 1955 (priest)
by Bertram Simpson
Consecrationc. 1986
by Robert Runcie
Personal details
Born (1930-06-29) 29 June 1930 (age 93)
DenominationAnglican
SpousePamela Hedges
Children2 sons, 2 daughters
Alma materSt John's College, Oxford

Early life and education edit

Wilcox was educated at Northampton Grammar School and St John's College, Oxford. He married Pamela Hedges in 1956 and they had two sons and two daughters.[2]

Ordained ministry edit

Ordained a deacon on Trinity Sunday (13 June) 1954 by Bertram Simpson, Bishop of Southwark, in Southwark Cathedral[3] and a priest the following year, he began his career with a curacy at St Helier, St Peter (Bishop Andrewes Church)[4] Hammersmith[5] in the Southwark Diocese and was then successively:[6] a lecturer at Lincoln Theological College; a USPG missionary in Bangalore; vicar of Great Gransden; and canon residentiary of Derby Cathedral. From 1977 to 1985, he was concurrently principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon and vicar of the Church of All Saints, Cuddesdon.

He was then appointed to the episcopate as Bishop suffragan of Dorking — a post he held from 1986 until 1995.[7] He was ordained and consecrated a bishop (thereby taking up his suffragan See) on 30 January 1986, by Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral.[8] In retirement he continues to minister, as an honorary assistant bishop within the Diocese of Chichester.

Wilcox was criticised in 2007 for having failed to inform police of a case of child abuse involving a church choirmaster in 1990.[9][10][11][12] This was one of several cases across the Church of England which led to Archbishop Rowan Williams announcing the Past Case Review, an exercise in which independent reviewers were appointed by each diocese to review files on clergy and other employees.[13][14]

His son is Bishop of Sheffield

References edit

  1. ^ "David Peter Wilcox". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Wilcox, David Peter". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (November 2016 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 7 April 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ "Trinity Ordinations". Church Times. No. 4767. 18 June 1954. p. 477. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 April 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  4. ^ Parish website
  5. ^ Crockford’s (Ibid)
  6. ^ Debrett’s People of Today: Ed Ellis,P (1992, London, Debtrett's) ISBN 1-870520-09-2)
  7. ^ Incident during his episcopate
  8. ^ "New bishops consecrated". Church Times. No. 6416. 31 January 1986. p. 20. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 7 April 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
  9. ^ "Choirmaster jailed for abusing children". The Guardian. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Campaigners criticise Church for failing to inform police of abuse". Church Times. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Anger over Church abuse cover-up". BBC. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Church hid secret of the choirmaster who abused boys". Evening Standard. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Church abuse case review outlined". BBC. 26 October 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Child sex abuse allegations uncovered in Church of England files". The Telegraph. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2018.