Francis Gurdon was born on 11 April 1861 at Barnham Broom, the third son of Rev.

[1] His two elder brothers, Edward Temple Gurdon and Charles Gurdon, were both early rugby union internationals, playing for England, and even more remarkably both went on to captain the national side.

[4] He held incumbencies at Limehouse, Lancaster Gate and Hessle[5] before elevation to the episcopate as a suffragan to the Archbishop of York.

[8] He was, alongside his suffragan-bishopric, installed as Vicar of Hessle on 11 November 1913;[9] in 1917 he resigned that living and became a Canon of York instead (remaining bishop).

[10] He resigned his See in ill-health effective 1 July 1929;[11] and died suddenly at York, still in post as Canon-Residentiary, on 23 December 1929.