George Wright (bishop)

After a curacy at Christ Church, Derby[2] he went as a CMS missionary to Mombasa where he remained in various capacities until 1921 when he returned to England as Vicar of Boulton.

He died on 11 August 1956[4] Wright's father was a postmaster in the town and at age 14 he was forced to leave Barnsley Grammar School and the scholarship he had won.

He held strong convictions that if the Government officials and other expats were helped in their spiritual life they too could effectively minister to local Africans.

In October 1910 the couple journeyed to Abbots Langley, England where he was in much demand as a preacher and speaker at missionary meetings around the country.

They had a further 7 children, Elizabeth, Philip, Doris, Basil, Hugh, Barbara and David (the last child was 'born in the purple' when Wright was Bishop).

As well as working in Mombasa, Wright travelled and ministered to the people in the Digo Country preaching and giving out simple medicines.

In 1921 Wright returned to England and spoke throughout the country about his missionary work abroad, speaking, preaching and sharing stores at exhibitions and meetings.

In July, Wright received a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury indicating that CMS had put forward his name as a suitable candidate as the next bishop of Sierra Leone.

He was consecrated bishop at Westminster Abbey on 1 November 1923, by Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury;[5] Three weeks later he sailed for Sierra Leone and his family remained in Birmingham.

Besides the work in Sierra Leone, the Diocese included Rio Pongas, French Guinea, the Gambia, the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

North Africa, Madeira, Canary Islands and Azores, was made a diocese with a particular focus on working with non-Christians, which Wright agreed to oversee.

He spent much of his time travelling to visit missionaries in isolated places and holding services in their home to strengthen and support them abroad.

In 1951 Wright retired from full-time responsibility of Templecombe and moved with his family to North London, temporarily lodging with Rev G T Manley.

Wright preached occasionally at St Luke's Tunbridge Wells at the Holy Communion Service and often read the Lessons.