Frederick Simpson (historian)

F. A. Simpson (22 November 1883(?) or 1884 – 6 February 1974) was an Anglican priest, historian and a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.[1]

Career

Simpson was educated at Rossall School[2] and Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1906; and M.A. in 1909. He was ordained deacon in 1909 and priest in 1910, serving his title at St Mary and St Anne, Ambleside.[3] He became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1911,[4] and was a temporary Chaplain to the Forces from 1915[5] to 1918. While Dean of Chapel at Trinity Simpson controversially queried the divinity of Christ.[6]

He wrote the first two volumes of a life of Louis Napoleon. After this he spent most of the rest of his college life pruning college shrubbery, and was known as "Snipper Simpson".[7]

His change of direction has been attributed to an unfavourable review by Philip Guedalla, but John Polkinghorne ascribes it to an "inner loss of nerve."[8]

Personal life

Simpson was described as a tall, stooped and craggy-featured figure usually wearing a cloth cap and dangling scarf. He had flown the English Channel in his own Gypsy Moth light aircraft. During the early 1930s he was associated with Guy Burgess when the latter was an undergraduate at Trinity College.[9]

Bibliography
  • The Rise of Louis Napoleon
  • Louis Napoleon and the recovery of France

References
  1. 'Rev F. A. Simpson' The Times (London, England), Saturday, February 9, 1974, Issue 59010, p.16.
  2. 'University Intelligence' The Times (London, England), Tuesday, February 25, 1902, Issue 36700, p.8
  3. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1973/4 p 1150: London; OUP; 1973
  4. 'University Intelligence' The Times (London, England), Saturday, March 11, 1911, Issue 39530, p.4.
  5. London Gazette 27 August 1915 p8539
  6. Lownie, Andrew (2015). Stalin's Englishman: the lives of Guy Burgess. p. 27. ISBN 9781473627369.
  7. "A Field Guide to the English Clergy' Butler-Gallie, F p51: London, Oneworld Publications, 2018 ISBN 9781786074416
  8. John Polkinghorne (August 1991). "A Last Eccentric (review)". The Reader. 88 (3): 99.
  9. Lownie, Andrew (2015). Stalin's Englishman: the lives of Guy Burgess. p. 27. ISBN 9781473627369.

Further reading
  • A Last Eccentric. Eric James (editor). Christian Action. 1991.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.