Spencer Leeson

Spencer Stottisbury Gwatkin Leeson[1] was an eminent[2] headmaster[3] and Anglican bishop[4] in the mid 20th century.

[7] Although he had just been awarded a 1st in classical moderations and was on his way to further academic distinction, he enlisted in the army in August 1914, soon after the outbreak of the First World War.

[8] He was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment and his first posting was to Gibraltar, where he gained the rare experience of guarding German-American prisoners who had been intercepted whilst attempting to reach Germany.

[14] He was ordained and consecrated a bishop that All Saints' Day (1 November) at Westminster Abbey[15] by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury;[16] and held this post until his death on 27 January 1956.

[17] By then, his hyperactivity and zeal had damaged his health, so that when Archbishop Garbett of York announced his retirement in 1955, Leeson was not in the running.

Memorial window to Leeson, Peterborough Cathedral
Plaque to Leeson in Peterborough Cathedral