Rector - Charles Robert Claxton (1903-1992)
Bishop of Warrington , Rector of St Cuthbert's
At the age of 16, Charles worked as a telegraphist for the Eastern Telegraph Co. in Hampstead, London; the company operated undersea telegraph cables between the UK and India as well as the UK and North and South America. During the 20th century, it became the largest cable operating company in the world.
Charles then attended Queens College Cambridge and was later ordained in 1928. He married Agnes Jane Stevenson at St. Mark’s church, Cheltenham on 16th May 1930. Charles began his ordained ministry with London curacies before becoming Vicar of Holy Trinity, Bristol in 1933. He was chaplain to the Bishop of Bristol. In 1939 Charles and Jane were still living in Bristol and during the war years Charles signed up as a Special Constable to contribute to the war effort.
After the war, he became the Bishop of Warrington in 1946 and then simultaneously, the rector of Halsall in 1948. He remained at Halsall until 1959 and later became the Bishop of Blackburn from 1960 until 1971.
After his retirement, Charles and Jane lived in Devon and then Prestbury in Cheshire. Bishop Charles Robert Claxton died at home on 7th March 1992; he was 88 years old.
In 1996, Charles’ grandson, Reverend Simon Tillotson produced a document in memory of his grandfather and has kindly allowed us to refer to this here. Mention is made of the Bishop’s time living and working in Halsall as well as many other memories and anecdotes from throughout his life. Click on this link …
Bishop's Walk
Incidentally, the pathway between St. Cuthbert’s Church and the school on New Street, is named ‘Bishop’s Walk’ after Bishop Charles Robert Claxton. It was put in place during the early 1950s as there was no pavement on that side of the street and the walk between the church and the school was becoming somewhat precarious for the Bishop and the residents of Halsall because of the increase in traffic. The field that existed to the left of this walkway was planted with trees in the 1980s and is now also referred to as ‘Bishop’s Walk’.
(Credit Robert Heaton, churchwarden at that time)
