Sir Frank Woods (6 April 1907 – 29 November 1992) was an English and Australian Anglican bishop. From 1957 to 1977, he was Archbishop of Melbourne. He was also the Primate of Australia from 1971 to 1977.
Life and career
Early life Woods was born in 1907 in Davos, Switzerland. He was the son of the Right Reverend Edward Sydney Woods (1877-1953), Bishop of Lichfield in the Church of England, and Rachel Clemence Barclay. In 1914, the family moved back to England where his father became an army chaplain and vicar before his consecration as the suffragan Bishop of Croydon in 1930, later becoming Bishop of Lichfield in 1937.
Woods' siblings included the photographer Janet Woods, Samuel Woods, an archdeacon in New Zealand, and Robin Woods, Bishop of Worcester. His uncle Theodore Woods was Bishop of Winchester.
Education Woods was educated at Marlborough College from 1920. In 1929 he was elected president of the Student Christian Movement (SCM) at Cambridge.
In 1930, Woods attended Trinity College, Cambridge, which lead to his master's degree in 1933.
Later years On 9 June 1936, Woods married Jean Margaret Sprules. His father was the officiant of the wedding service which was held at St Alban's Abbey.
Ordained ministry Woods was ordained as a priest in 1932.Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975–76 London: Oxford University Press, 1976 After a curacy at St Mary's Church, Portsea, in the Diocese of Portsmouth he became chaplain of his Cambridge alma mater, Trinity College."Who was Who 1897–1990", London, A & C Black, 1991, He then became vice-principal of Wells Theological College. During the Second World War, he served as a chaplain in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and then, successively, a vicar in Huddersfield (1945–52); Suffragan Bishop of Middleton (1952–57);The Times, 19 November 1951; p. 6; "New Bishop Suffragan of Middleton: Right Rev. F. Woods" and, in 1957, Archbishop of Melbourne for over 20 years.The Times, 23 August 1957, p. 8; "New Archbishop of Melbourne: Most Rev. F. Woods" From 1971 he was also the Anglican Primate of Australia.
Honours Woods was appointed, on 3 June 1972, a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)."It's an Honour: KBE" He used the title of "Sir", as is the established protocol in Australia for knighted clergy.East Melbourne Historical Society, "Archbishop Frank Woods (1907–1992)"Archbishop Frank Woods 1907–92 : a tribute compiled by Anglican Media He was also a Chaplain of the Order of St John (ChStJ).
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