The Rt Rev Alan Smithson was Bishop of Jarrow

Bishop of Jarrow

The Bishop of Jarrow is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Durham, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after the former Anglo Saxon monastery in the town of Jarrow in Tyne and Wear....

 from 1990 to 2001. He was born on 1 December 1936 and educated at Bradford Grammar School

Bradford Grammar School

Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...

 and Queen's College, Oxford before embarking on an ecclesiastical career with a curacy

Curate

A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

 at Christ Church, Skipton

Skipton

Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...

 after which he was Chaplain

Chaplain

Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...

 at his old college. Following this he was Vicar

Vicar

In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

 of Bracknell

Bracknell

Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...

 and later a Canon Residentiary

Canon (priest)

A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....

 at Carlisle Cathedral

Carlisle Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, otherwise called Carlisle Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Carlisle. It is located in Carlisle, in Cumbria, North West England...

 before being elevated to the Episcopate. In retirement he served the Diocese of Edinburgh

Diocese of Edinburgh

The Diocese of Edinburgh is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers the City of Edinburgh, the Lothians, the Borders and Falkirk. The diocesan centre is St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh...

 as an Assistant Bishop

Assistant Bishop

An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.-Church of England:In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually are retired bishops – in which case they are honorary assistant bishops...

. He was also National Chaplain to the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade

Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade

The Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade is a Church of England youth organisation with branches in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Barbados, Bermuda, Kenya, South Africa, Newfoundland and St Helena...

 from 1992-2006 where he was much loved. He died at Musselburgh on Thursday 17 June 2010

Controversy

In 1998, he contributed to the defence in a court case where the accused was the Rev. Michael Golightly on a charge of attempted murder against his wife Enid. Enid was subjected to an attack with a hammer to the side of her head whilst asleep, and was left for some hours by Golightly with a severe brain injury. There was no evidence of forced entry and Golightly did not call an ambulance until late in the afternoon.

Before the trial, Bishop Smithson had succeeded in getting bail for the accused, who stayed with monks at Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...

. During the trial he stated that the accused was an upstanding clergyman and it was not in his nature to carry out such an act; his submission was opposed by Enid Golightly's family. The victim refused to give evidence for the prosecution. Michael Golightly was sentenced to five years' imprisonmentBBC News

BBC News

BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/48058.stm, BBC News. for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

After the trial, Enid Golightly lived in Durham, disabled and in poverty, until Michael was released. Re-united, they subsequently moved to the Hull area.