[2] Ordained in 1938 after a period of study at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, he began his career with curacies at St John's, Shildon[3] and St James's, Gateshead.
He was Vicar of St Wilfrid's, Halton, Leeds, where he pioneered the House Church movement, and then Rural Dean of Whitkirk until 1961 when he was appointed Provost of Southwark Cathedral.
[5] Southcott was notable for his height- six feet six inches- and his conducting of services in parishioners' houses, celebrating communion at family dinner tables.
Nevertheless, his own services were so popular that the church was full half an hour before proceedings began.
[6] It took him 5 years to convince St. Wilfrid's parishioners that the baptismal font ought to be in the center of the church.