Background
He was born on 14 September 1887, the son of an Anglican clergyman and was educated at Clifton College, Bristol and New College, Oxford.
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Mervyn Haigh
Edit Profilepriest Bishop of Winchester Bishop of Coventry
Education
Clifton College; New College.
Career
After university he took Holy Orders and embarked on a clerical career that was to last for over 40 years. London curacies were interrupted by war service as an army chaplain in East Africa, but on his return he rose rapidly in the church hierarchy. From 1919 until 1924 he was Chaplain and Lecturer at the Ordination Test School, in Knutsford, and Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Llandaff but his big breakthrough came with his appointment to be the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Private Secretary, a post he was to hold under two separate incumbents until his elevation to the rank of Bishop in 1931.
He was appointed Bishop of Coventry, and served the diocese well especially during the terrible bombing of the city during World World War World War II In 1942 he was translated to Bishop of Winchester, the enthronement taking place on 30 September that year.
A deep thinker and loyal monarchist, Haigh chaired the Joint Committee which revised the Amended Lectionary.
He resigned his post in 1952 and was honoured by Winchester College before retiring to North Wales where he became involved in several rural campaigns. He died on 20 May 1962, his papers bequeathed to the nation.
