Royal Naval Chaplaincy Service

The Royal Naval Chaplaincy Service provides chaplains to the Royal Navy. The chaplains are commissioned by the Sovereign but do not hold military rank other than that of "Chaplain Royal Navy".

The senior chaplain in the Royal Navy is the Chaplain of the Fleet, the current post holder being Andrew Hillier, an Anglican priest, who is also the Archdeacon for the Royal Navy.

Chaplains do not hold a standard military rank, and are usually addressed as Padre, Reverend, or, more informally, Bish.

The majority of chaplains are recruited from a number of Christian denominations. However, to better reflect the changing demographics of the United Kingdom and its military, the Ministry of Defence announced in November 2023 that it would begin recruiting non-religious pastoral support officers from 2024, as is already done in prisons, universities and the NHS.^[1]

Training

Chaplains join the Royal Navy as experienced clergy of their denomination. They undergo naval training at Britannia Royal Naval College alongside other Royal Navy officer cadets. Those serving with the Royal Marines may be selected to attempt commando training: if successful they become Royal Navy Commandos and wear the Commando green beret and, on No 1 uniform, the Commando Dagger badge. Those who serve with the Submarine Service may earn their submarine service "Dolphins".

Chaplains of the Fleet

The role of Chaplain of the Fleet, being Head of the Naval Chaplains, was established on 13 May 1859, and was originally attached to the role of Senior Chaplain at Greenwich Hospital^[2] and was also the Inspector of Naval Schools. An Order in Council issued by King Edward VII in August 1902 granted the ecclesiastical dignity of archdeacon on the Chaplain of the Fleet.^[3]

Thomas Ken was appointed Chaplain of the Fleet by King Charles II in 1683.^[4]

• 1859–1865: Unknown
• 1865–1871: William Guise-Tucker^[5]
• 1871–1876: Unknown
• 23 November 1876 – 1882 (retd): John Cawston^[6][7]
• 1882–1888: John Harbord^[8]
• 1888 – 17 January 1899 (retd): John Cox-Edwards^[9][10]
• 1899 – 1 March 1901 (retd): John Berry^[11]
• 1901 – 6 October 1906 (retd): Stuart Harris^[12]
• 1906 – 1 December 1917 (retd): Hugh Wood^[13][14]
• 1917–1924: Charles Ingles^[15]
• 1924 – 29 January 1929 (retd): Robert McKew^[16]
• 1929–1933: Walter Knight-Adkin^[17]
• 1933–1935: Charles Peshall^[18]
• 1935 – 4 October 1938 (retd): Arthur Gilbertson^[19][20]
• 1938–1943: Thomas Crick^[21]
• 1943–1947: John Wilson
• 1947 – 15 May 1952: Leonard Coulshaw^[22][23]
• 1952–1956: Noel Chamberlain
• 1956–1960: Darrell Bunt
• 1960 – 15 March 1963 (retd): John Armstrong^[24]
• 15 May 1963 – 18 March 1966 (retd): Raymond Richardson^[24][25]
• 18 March 1966 – 6 May 1969: Christopher Prior^[25][26]
• 8 April 1969 – 9 June 1972 (retd): Ambrose Weekes^[27][28]
• 14 April 1972 – 1975: Chandos Morgan^[29]
• 4 December 1975 – 1980: Basil O'Ferrall^[30]
• 28 March 1980 – 1984: Raymond Roberts^[31]
• 11 June 1984 – 1989: Noël Jones^[32]
• 1989–1994: Michael Henley
• 1994–1997: Michael Bucks
• 1997–1999: Simon Golding^[33]
• 1999–2000: Charles Stewart
• 2000–2002: Simon Golding^[33]
• 2002–2006: Barry Hammett
• 2006–2010: John Green^[34]
• 2010–2014: Scott J. Brown^[34][35]
• 2014–2018: Ian Wheatley^[36]
• 2018–2021: Martyn Gough
• 2021–2025:^[37] Andrew Hillier^[38]
• 2025 - Present: Mark Davidson

See also

• Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch
• Royal Army Chaplains' Department

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ No. 22268. 27 May 1859. p. 2107.
3. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". No. 36904. 21 October 1902. p. 5.
4. ^ Vol. 15. pp. 726–727.
5. ^ "Malta Family History – Army, Navy and Air Force Chaplains 1800–1960". Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
6. ^ No. 24386. 24 November 1876. p. 6301.
7. ^ The Times, 7 March 1900, page 6
8. ^ No. 25777. 14 January 1888. p. 420.
9. ^ No. 26720. 10 March 1896. p. 1612.
10. ^ No. 27047. 31 January 1899. p. 603.
11. ^ No. 27291. 15 March 1901. p. 1578.
12. ^ No. 27956. 9 October 1906. p. 6790.
13. ^ No. 28316. 10 December 1909. p. 9414.
14. ^ No. 30417. 7 December 1917. p. 12812.
15. ^ No. 32846. 20 July 1923. p. 4988.
16. ^ No. 33166. 28 May 1926. p. 3455.
17. ^ No. 33506. 14 June 1929. p. 3943.
18. ^ No. 34043. 20 April 1934. p. 2545.
19. ^ No. 34279. 29 April 1936. p. 2767.
20. ^ No. 34560. 11 October 1938. p. 6338.
21. ^ No. 34814. 19 March 1940. p. 1629.
22. ^ No. 38189. 27 January 1948. p. 662.
23. ^ No. 39606. 25 July 1952. p. 3999.
24. ^ No. 42972. 19 April 1963. p. 3378.
25. ^ No. 43836. 10 December 1965. p. 11545.
26. ^ No. 44805. 7 March 1969. p. 2629.
27. ^ No. 44754. 30 December 1968. p. 13908.
28. ^ No. 45626. 20 March 1972. p. 3439.
29. ^ No. 45510. 1 November 1971. p. 11849.
30. ^ No. 46747. 24 November 1975. p. 14941.
31. ^ No. 48130. 17 March 1980. p. 4155.
32. ^ No. 49800. 9 July 1984. p. 9431.
33. ^ ‘GOLDING, Ven. Simon Jefferies’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2011 accessed 25 November 2012
34. ^ No. 59593. 1 November 2010. p. 21037.
35. ^ Royal Navy – Chaplain of the Fleet (Retrieved 7 June 2012)
36. ^ No. 61084. 23 December 2014. p. 24746.
37. ^ "Court Circular". The Royal Family. 21 June 2021. Archived 24 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
38. ^ Naval Chaplaincy Service (16 July 2021). "Today saw the departure of Ven Martyn Gough as Chaplain of the Fleet & succeeded by Rev Andrew Hillier.". No. 1416018240317296643. Retrieved 18 July 2021.

Further reading

• Bergen, Doris. L., (ed), 2004. The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century. University of Notre Dame Press ISBN 0-268-02176-7

External links

• Chaplaincy Service - Royal Navy - Royal Navy official website