Bertram Cunningham

Bertram Keir Cunningham, OBE, KHC (26 March 1871 – 10 September 1944), also known as B. K. Cunningham, was a British Anglican priest and academic. From 1919 to 1943, he was Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge, a Church of England theological college.

The Reverend Canon

B. K. Cunningham

OBE KHC
Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge
ChurchChurch of England
In office1919 to 1943
PredecessorCharles Lambert
SuccessorWilliam Greer
Orders
Ordinationc. 1897
Personal details
Birth nameBertram Keir Cunningham
Born(1871-02-26)26 February 1871
Died10 September 1944(1944-09-10) (aged 73)
NationalityBritish
DenominationAnglicanism

Ordained ministry

Cunningham worked with the Cambridge University Mission to Delhi and also as a lay minister in the Diocese of Lahore. In 1897, he returned to the United Kingdom, and was ordained in the Church of England. He then served his curacy at St Anne's Church, Wandsworth in the Diocese of Southwark.[1] From 1900 to 1917, he served as Warden of the Bishops' Hostel, Farnham in Surrey.[1] This was a small, local theological college mainly attended by older men.[2] He was made an honorary canon of Winchester Cathedral in 1908.[1]

On 20 March 1917, Cunningham was commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department as a temporary Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain).[3] One of his duties during the First World War was to run retreats for those serving as chaplains.[4] He was also the principal of the Chaplains' School in Saint-Omer, France, that provided the training to turn vicars into military chaplains.[5] On 21 March 1919, he relinquished his commission and was appointed an honorary Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent to major).[6]

In 1919, Cunningham was appointed Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge.[1] His first duty was to re-open the theological college, as it had been closed during the First World War.[2] He retired as principal at the end of 1943 due to his failing health.[7]

Later life

Cunningham died on 10 September 1944 in London, England.[1][2] His funeral was held on 13 September 1944 at the Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh.[8]

Honours

In March 1920, Cunningham was appointed an Honorary Chaplain to The King (KHC).[9]

Selected works
  • Cunningham, B. K. (1913). Studies in New Testament Thought. London: Student Christian Movement.
  • Cunningham, B. K., ed. (1932). A Man's Job? What it Means to be a Parson. London: Student Christian Movement Press.

References
  1. 'CUNNINGHAM, Rev. Bertram Keir', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 17 Aug 2017
  2. "Obituary: Canon Cunningham". The Times (49956). 12 September 1944. p. 6.
  3. "No. 30016". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1917. p. 3481.
  4. "Canon B. K. Cunningham". The Times (49960). 19 September 1944. p. 6.
  5. Snape, Michael (4 March 2011). "Church of England Army Chaplains in the First World War: Goodbye to 'Goodbye to All That'" (PDF). The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. 62 (2): 318–345. doi:10.1017/S0022046909991394. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  6. "No. 31408". The London Gazette. 17 June 1919. p. 7791.
  7. "Principal of Westcott House". The Times (49704). 16 November 1943. p. 2.
  8. "Funeral: Canon B. K. Cunningham". The Times (49957). 14 September 1944. p. 7.
  9. "No. 13578". The Edinburgh Gazette. 19 March 1920. p. 821.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.