William Thomas Havard
Encyclopedia
Rt. Rev.
William Thomas Havard MC
(23 October 1889 – 17 August 1956) was a Welsh
First World War
military chaplain
, and rugby union
international player who was later successively bishop
of two diocese
s of the Church in Wales
: St Asaph
and St David's
.
, Brecknockshire
, the third son of William Havard, a deacon
of the local congregational chapel, and his wife Gwen. He attended Brecon
county school before studying at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he graduated with a 3rd-class BA
degree in history in 1912. Having been raised in the congregationalist Christian tradition, he was confirmed as a member of the Church in Wales
after graduating. He then trained for ordination at St. Michael's College, Llandaff
and was ordained deacon in 1913 and priest
in 1914. He was curate
of Llanelli
from 1913 to 1915.
A keen sportsman, Havard played rugby at all levels, representing Brecon Secondary School while a schoolboy, and contining through university and finally joining Llanelli
and later London Welsh at club level. He also played football to a high standard and played for Swansea Town
. In September 1912, two days before the club's first Southern League
match, Havard was in the reserve team in a match against Merthyr and scored Swansea's first goal in their first competitive season.
during the First World War, serving from 1915 to 1919, retaining an honorary commission as chaplain to the forces, 4th class. He was Mentioned in Despatches in 1916 and was awarded the Military Cross
in the 1918 New Year Honours
. After the war, he was chaplain of Jesus College, Oxford
from 1919 to 1921 (obtaining an MA degree in 1921). Whilst at Oxford, he won his "Blue" for playing rugby against Cambridge University
. On 21 April 1919, Havard played for the Wales national rugby union team
in a tour match against the New Zealand
Services. It was to be the only time that Havard played for Wales. Havard was also part of the Jesus College rugby team that won the inter-collegiate cup in 1920.
After leaving Oxford, Havard became curate of Brecon (1921–22), vicar
of Hook
(1922–24), vicar of St Luke's, Battersea
(1924–28) and vicar of St Mary's, Swansea
(1928–34). He was a canon
of Brecon Cathedral
from 1930 to 1934. He succeeded Alfred George Edwards
as Bishop of St Asaph
in September 1934 when Edwards retired. He had in 1923 he returned to a more active army role, joining the Territorials in his previous grade on 8 May 1923, he was then promoted to Chaplain, 3rd class on 21 February 1925 before being appointed to a reserve commission on 6 January 1934, which he retained until reaching the age-limit for the position in 1949, when he was again granted an honorary commission. On 18 June 1940 he was appointed a Chaplain and Sub-Prelate of the Venerable Order of Saint John
. He was translated
to St David's
in succession to David Lewis Prosser in 1950.
He was regarded as a powerful preacher in both Welsh and in English, with his sermon on the Sunday before the National Eisteddfod often being broadcast. He was Select Preacher at St. Andrew's University
(1943) and Canterbury
(1946), and travelled to Yale University
in 1951 as a special lecturer and preacher. He was prominent in educational activities, chairing the education council of the Church in Wales, and acting as Visitor
to St. David's College, Llandovery College
, Trinity College, Carmarthen
and St John's College, Ystrad Meurig
. Havard died on 17 August 1956 and was buried in Brecon.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
William Thomas Havard MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(23 October 1889 – 17 August 1956) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
military 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...
, and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international player who was later successively bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of two diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s of the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
: St Asaph
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
and St David's
Bishop of St David's
The Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
.
Life
Havard was born in DefynnogDefynnog
Defynnog is a small village in the community of Maescar in the county of Powys, Wales. It lies immediately south of Sennybridge and a few miles west of Brecon within the Brecon Beacons National Park...
, Brecknockshire
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, the third son of William Havard, a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the local congregational chapel, and his wife Gwen. He attended Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
county school before studying at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he graduated with a 3rd-class BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in history in 1912. Having been raised in the congregationalist Christian tradition, he was confirmed as a member of the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
after graduating. He then trained for ordination at St. Michael's College, Llandaff
St. Michael's College, Llandaff
St. Michael's College is an Anglican Theological college in Llandaff, Wales. The college was founded in 1892, and has been situated at its present site in Llandaff since 1904. Among its many alumni is the poet R. S. Thomas. The following people have been wardens:* Glyn Simon * Eryl Stephen Thomas...
and was ordained deacon in 1913 and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1914. He was curate
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...
of Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
from 1913 to 1915.
A keen sportsman, Havard played rugby at all levels, representing Brecon Secondary School while a schoolboy, and contining through university and finally joining Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and later London Welsh at club level. He also played football to a high standard and played for Swansea Town
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
. In September 1912, two days before the club's first Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
match, Havard was in the reserve team in a match against Merthyr and scored Swansea's first goal in their first competitive season.
World War One
Havard became a chaplain to the armed forcesRoyal Army Chaplains' Department
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
during the First World War, serving from 1915 to 1919, retaining an honorary commission as chaplain to the forces, 4th class. He was Mentioned in Despatches in 1916 and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in the 1918 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. After the war, he was chaplain of Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
from 1919 to 1921 (obtaining an MA degree in 1921). Whilst at Oxford, he won his "Blue" for playing rugby against Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
. On 21 April 1919, Havard played for the Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in a tour match against the New Zealand
New Zealand Army rugby team of 1919
The New Zealand Army rugby team of 1919 was a rugby union team which represented New Zealand after the end of the First World War. Although spoken of as a single team, there were several New Zealand Services teams playing in Britain at the conclusion of the War...
Services. It was to be the only time that Havard played for Wales. Havard was also part of the Jesus College rugby team that won the inter-collegiate cup in 1920.
After leaving Oxford, Havard became curate of Brecon (1921–22), 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 Hook
Hook, London
Hook is a place in south west London, England. It forms part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and is located 13.5 miles south west of Charing Cross....
(1922–24), vicar of St Luke's, Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
(1924–28) and vicar of St Mary's, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
(1928–34). He was a canon
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 ....
of Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral, in the town of Brecon, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon...
from 1930 to 1934. He succeeded Alfred George Edwards
Alfred George Edwards
Alfred George Edwards was elected the first Archbishop of the disestablished Church in Wales.The son of a priest of the Church of England, Edwards was born in Llanymawddwy in Gwynedd. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford before being appointed Warden of Llandovery College in 1875...
as Bishop of St Asaph
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
in September 1934 when Edwards retired. He had in 1923 he returned to a more active army role, joining the Territorials in his previous grade on 8 May 1923, he was then promoted to Chaplain, 3rd class on 21 February 1925 before being appointed to a reserve commission on 6 January 1934, which he retained until reaching the age-limit for the position in 1949, when he was again granted an honorary commission. On 18 June 1940 he was appointed a Chaplain and Sub-Prelate of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. He was translated
Translation (ecclesiastical)
Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan Bishop*From Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan Bishop*From one country's Episcopate to another...
to St David's
St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral is situated in St David's in the county of Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly point of Wales.-Early history:The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589...
in succession to David Lewis Prosser in 1950.
He was regarded as a powerful preacher in both Welsh and in English, with his sermon on the Sunday before the National Eisteddfod often being broadcast. He was Select Preacher at St. Andrew's University
St. Andrew's University
, also known as St Andrew's University, is a private, coeducational university located in Izumi, Osaka, Japan.- Faculties :The university has faculties in International studies, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Economics, Business and Administration, of Law...
(1943) and Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
(1946), and travelled to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1951 as a special lecturer and preacher. He was prominent in educational activities, chairing the education council of the Church in Wales, and acting as Visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
to St. David's College, Llandovery College
Llandovery College
Llandovery College is an independent school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips in 1847 to provide a classical and liberal education in which the Welsh language; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.Llandovery...
, Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity University College was a university college in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.- History :...
and St John's College, Ystrad Meurig
Ystrad Meurig
Ystrad Meurig is a village in Ceredigion, Wales. It lies on the B4340 road northwest of the town of Tregaron.- History & Amenities :...
. Havard died on 17 August 1956 and was buried in Brecon.