Background
De Blank was born in Rotterdam on 14 November 1908, he became a British subject as a child in 1921.
priest Archbishop of Cape Town
De Blank was born in Rotterdam on 14 November 1908, he became a British subject as a child in 1921.
De Blank was born in Rotterdam on 14 November 1908, he became a British subject as a child in 1921. He was educated at Merchant Taylors" School, King"s College London, and Queens" College, Cambridge.
He was ordained after a period of study at Ridley Hall, Cambridge in 1932 and began his career as a Curate in Bath. De Blank held incumbencies at Forest Gate and Greenhill, Harrow. during World World War II he was an army chaplain. In 1952 he was appointed the Bishop of Stepney in the Diocese of London and continued in this post until he was translated to Cape Town.
He succeeded Geoffrey Clayton as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1957.
In, he refused to preach in any church not open to blacks as well as whites. He opposed clause 29 of Natives Law Amendment Bill, which gave the civil authorities powers to exclude non whites from Anglican churches.
De Blank suffered a stroke which caused him to resign from Cape Town in 1963. He returned to England whereupon he was appointed a canon of Westminster Abbey.