Sexton, Harold Eustace

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Sexton, Harold Eustace

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        Dates of existence

        1888-1972

        History

        Harold Eustace Sexton was born in Adelaide, Australia on May 14, 1888. He was educated at the Collegiate School of St. Peter in that city, followed by Trinity College, Dublin, and Keble College, Oxford. He was ordained deacon in 1911 and priest in 1912, in the diocese of Ballart, Australia, in which he served two curacies. In 1916, Sexton became Chaplain of the Australian Imperial Forces on Active Service (1916-1919) in France and Honourary Chaplain to the British Expeditionary Force (1920-1935). Following the war (WWI), he studied at Oxford for a year before returning to Melbourne, Australia, as vicar of St. Martin's Church (1920-1923). In 1924, he returned to England as Deputation Speaker for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG). He then served as curate of St. Margaret's, Westminster (1925-1927) and vicar of All Saints, Canterbury, for seven years. During this period, he was also Commissary in England for the Bishop of Jamaica (19027-1931). Sexton was elected coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia, Canada, on February 27, 1935, and consecrated on June 29, 1935. He also served as Archdeacon of Columbia until he succeeded Bishop Shofield in 1936. He became sixth Bishop of the Diocese (1936-1968), the first Bishop to be consecrated in Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria B.C. Bishop Sexton was elected the fourth Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia on April 25, 1952, becoming, at the same time, Archbishop of the Diocese of British Columbia. He resigned from this position January 1, 1969. He died at his home in Victoria, on March 29, 1972. Archbishop Sexton was well known for his outspokenness. He was active in civic and provincial affairs, frankly expressing his views on controversial matters. He challenged government to reform its liquor laws in 1945; in 1969 he advocated opening licensed bars on Sunday afternoons. He criticized the government's Chant Royal Commission on Education for not providing recommendations on religious instruction in the public schools. In church matters he urged the Provincial Synod to review the rigid stance against the remarriage of divorced persons. Archbishop Sexton also showed interest in the early history of the Church of England in British Columbia and how missionary activities were carried out. He wrote articles about its growth, as well as presenting an overview of the history of the Diocese of British Columbia for its centenary celebrations in 1959. His interest in the history of the region made the arrival of a manuscript relating to the diocese's first bishop, George Hills, of interest to him. The manuscript consisted of a book which was commissioned by the British Columbia Church Aid Society (BCCAS). It was entitled "The Life of George Hills, first Bishop of British Columbia". Written by a London journalist H.P.K. Skipton in 1911, it was not published at that time, due to the lingering bad feelings surrounding the Hills and Edward Cridge trial. The BCCAS purchased the manuscript from Skipton. Archbishop Sexton acquired it in 1958 when the Society was dissolved. Sexton considered the manuscript a valuable addition to the history of early days of Anglican Church in British Columbia and its first Bishop. He worked on it for several years, with the idea of having it published, but this never occurred.

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