Born on 6 April 1902, he was educated at Shrewsbury and Keble College, Oxford.

[3] After this he studied for ordination at Lichfield Theological College followed by a curacy at Christ Church, Tunstall.

[6] He then held incumbencies at Marchington and Market Drayton before becoming rural dean of Hodnet then Newark.

[7] An Honorary Chaplain to the King, he was Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London until his elevation to the episcopate[8] in 1956, where he served for 14 years.

He became Bishop of Worcester when his election was confirmed on 2 January (at St Mary-le-Bow)[9] and he was consecrated a bishop on 6 January 1956, by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral.