Nigel Cornwall

August 13, 1903 (age 81)

He held the position of bishop of Borneo from 1949 until 1962. He took a third-class degree in 1926. Cornwall worked in England for four years, first at Cuddesdon Theological College in 1926-1927, then as deacon in the Diocese of Durham also in 1927, as curate of Street Columba"s, Southwick, Sunderland in 1927-1930, and as a priest in Durham in 1928. His first posting abroad came in 1931 when he was appointed chaplain to the bishop of Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), a position he held until 1938. He briefly returned to England for a year, as curate of Street Wilfred"s, Brighton in 1938-1939. Thereafter came postings as a missionary priest of the Diocese of Masasi, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in 1939-1949, during which time he also served as headmaster of Street Joseph"s College, Chidya in 1944-1949. Cornwall was consecrated bishop of Borneo on 1 November 1949 in London, as the first to hold this post: following the devastation of World World War II, the Diocese of Labuan and the Bishopric of Sarawak were merged as the Diocese of Borneo. Cornwall served as bishop based in Kuching for thirteen years until 1962, when the diocese was again divided into the Diocese of Jesselton (later Sabah) which included Labuan, and the Diocese of Kuching, which included Brunei. Cornwall then returned to England, where he served as commissary to the Bishop of Kuching, as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Winchester, and as a canon residentiary of Winchester Cathedral from 1963 to 1973, when he retired. Cornwall was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1955. They had no children. Mary died in 1981.

Nigel Cornwall

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assistant bishop chaplain clergyman

Background

Cornwall was the son of Alan Whitmore Cornwall, who was archdeacon of Cheltenham from 1924 to 1932.

Education

He was educated at Marlborough College (where his older brother Alan, a county cricketer for Gloucestershire, was later to be a housemaster) and then at Oriel College, Oxford, where he studied history.

Career

He held the position of bishop of Borneo from 1949 until 1962. He took a third-class degree in 1926. Cornwall worked in England for four years, first at Cuddesdon Theological College in 1926-1927, then as deacon in the Diocese of Durham also in 1927, as curate of Street Columba"s, Southwick, Sunderland in 1927-1930, and as a priest in Durham in 1928.

His first posting abroad came in 1931 when he was appointed chaplain to the bishop of Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), a position he held until 1938.

He briefly returned to England for a year, as curate of Street Wilfred"s, Brighton in 1938-1939. Thereafter came postings as a missionary priest of the Diocese of Masasi, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in 1939-1949, during which time he also served as headmaster of Street Joseph"s College, Chidya in 1944-1949.

Cornwall was consecrated bishop of Borneo on 1 November 1949 in London, as the first to hold this post: following the devastation of World World War II, the Diocese of Labuan and the Bishopric of Sarawak were merged as the Diocese of Borneo. Cornwall served as bishop based in Kuching for thirteen years until 1962, when the diocese was again divided into the Diocese of Jesselton (later Sabah) which included Labuan, and the Diocese of Kuching, which included Brunei.

Cornwall then returned to England, where he served as commissary to the Bishop of Kuching, as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Winchester, and as a canon residentiary of Winchester Cathedral from 1963 to 1973, when he retired.

Cornwall was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1955. They had no children. Mary died in 1981.

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Nigel Cornwall

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Commander of the Order of the British Empire