Edward Carpenter (priest)

Carpenter was a native Londoner and the city featured prominently in his life and priestly ministry. He was educated at Strode's Grammar School[3] and King's College London[4] and ordained in 1936.[5] After curacies at Holy Trinity, Marylebone and St Mary's Harrow he was Rector of Great Stanmore.[6]

After this his ministry was spent at Westminster Abbey, from 1951 firstly as a canon, then from 1963 to 1974 as archdeacon and finally, from 1974, Dean of Westminster.[7] One obituary noted "It was unfortunate for the Church that Edward Carpenter was 64 before he became Dean but he has left a legacy of tolerant, determined openness as a vital trait of 20th- century Christianity. He and his wife gave themselves unstintingly to others and contributed a happy sparkle in their home at Westminster in their laughter and scholarship." [8]

Carpenter retired to Richmond, Surrey. He has four children, David, Michael (whose son is the cricketer Ed Carpenter), Paul and Louise.[9]

Carpenter wrote Common sense about Christian ethics as part of the Common Sense series.

He was the first chairman of the Week of Prayer for World Peace, a global interfaith initiative created by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship.[10]

In 2017 Michael De-la-Noy published a biography of Carpenter, A Liberal and Godly Dean: The Life of Edward Carpenter (Gloriette Publications).[11]