he was born into a clerical family and educated at eton and magdalen college, oxford. after distinguished service with the king's royal rifle corps, he was made deacon at michaelmas 1946 (22 september) by edmund morgan, bishop of southampton, and ordained priest on trinity sunday 1947 (1 june) by mervyn haigh, bishop of winchester — both times at winchester cathedral. his first post was as a curate at st mary, southampton, after which he was on the staff of "st alban’s cathedral, pretoria " until his appointment to the episcopate as the 4th bishop of northern rhodesia in 1951. he was consecrated a bishop on st andrew's day 1951 (30 november) by geoffrey fisher, archbishop of canterbury, at westminster abbey. after eleven years he was additionally elected archbishop of central africa. a fierce opponent of apartheid and a naturalized zambian, he was killed in a car crash.