{{Short description|British Anglican bishop (1???-1962)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} The Rt Rev ''' Percival William Stephenson ''' was the 6th Anglican bishop of Nelson<ref>"Who was Who" 1897-2007 London, A & C Black, 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-19-954087-7}}</ref> whose episcopate spanned a 14-year period in the mid-20th century.

==Family== The son of Arthur Henry Stephenson (1867-1955),<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71888945 Deaths: Stephenson, ''The Argus'', (Saturday, 18 June 1955), p.13.]</ref> and Annie Amelia Vevers Stephenson (1865-1903), née Brailey,<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190636064 Marriages: Stephenson—Brailey, ''The Age'', (Saturday, 2 July 1887), p.5.]</ref> Percival William Stephenson was born at Malmsbury, Victoria on 5 May 1888.

He married Grace Ermyntrude Lavender (1885-1974) on 9 October 1913.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138098159 Births: Lavender, ''The Australasian'', (Saturday, 16 May 1885), p.3.]</ref><ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7255054 Stephenson—Lavender, ''The Argus'', (Saturday, 29 November 1913), p.11.]</ref> They three children, Millicent Lavender Stephenson (1914-),<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92054735 Birth: Stephenson, ''The Bendigonian'', (Tuesday, 25 August 1914), p.7.]</ref> Arthur Lavender Stephenson (1917-2001),<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90303006 Births: Stephenson, ''The Bendigo Advertiser'', (Tuesday, 20 November 1917), p.4.]</ref> and Noel Lavender Stephenson (1920-). Percival Stephenson died in 1962.

==Education== He was educated at Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne,<ref>Webber (1981), p.316.</ref> where he was an outstanding footballer in the school's First XVIII,<ref>Wilkinson (1997), p.39.</ref> the University of Melbourne, the Australian College of Theology, and the University of London. * 1912: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) — University of Melbourne. * 1913: Licentiate of Theology (L.Th.) — Australian College of Theology. * 1915: Bachelor of Arts (M.A.) — University of Melbourne. * 1917: Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) — University of London.

==Cleric== He was ordained in 1914.<ref>Crockford's Clerical Directory1940-41 Oxford, OUP,1941</ref>

==Academic== He moved to India to teach at CMS Edwards College in Peshawar, where he was initially a teacher and then principal (1921–1924). From 1924 to 1928 he was professor of exegetical theology at St John's College, Winnipeg.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://trinity.nsw.libguides.com/c.php?g=5492&p=22490| title= Archives: Head Masters|publisher= Trinity Grammar School|accessdate = 18 April 2015}}</ref>

On his return to Australia he became federal secretary of the Church Missionary Society of Australia and Tasmania and headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, Sydney (1935–37)<ref>[http://www.trinity.nsw.edu.au/ School web site]</ref> and then commonwealth secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society until his elevation to the episcopate in 1940.

==Death== He died on 29 May 1962.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19620531&id=_6ATAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G6wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5844,4640373 News of death]</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Christianity}} * List of Caulfield Grammar School people

==Notes== <references/>

==References== * Cole, Keith, ''Sincerity My Guide: A Biography of the Right Reverend P.W. Stephenson (1888-1962)'', Church Missionary Historical Publications Trust, (Melbourne), 1970. * {{cite book | author=Webber, Horace | title=Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981 | publisher=Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda) | year=1981 | isbn=0-9594242-0-2}} * {{cite book | author=Wilkinson, Ian R. | title=The Fields At Play – 115 years of sport at Caulfield Grammar School 1881–1996 | publisher={{sic|Play|right|hide=y}} Publishing | year=1997 | isbn=0-949853-60-7}}

{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ac}} {{s-bef|before=William George Hilliard}} {{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Nelson|years=1940&ndash;1954}} {{s-aft|after=Francis Oag Hulme-Moir}} {{s-end}}

{{Bishops of Nelson}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Percival William}} Category:1888 births Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School Category:University of Melbourne alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Manitoba Category:Anglican bishops of Nelson Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in New Zealand Category:1960 deaths Category:Alumni of the University of London Category:Australian headmasters Category:Heads of schools in New South Wales