William Streatfeild

William Champion Streatfeild (born 1 September 1865^[1] and died 15 February 1929) was the Anglican Bishop of Lewes ^[2] for a brief period in the second quarter of the 20th century. He was also the father of the novelist Noel Streatfeild,^[3] and appears as the beloved but over-saintly father of the heroine, Victoria, in her autobiographical novel A Vicarage Family.

William was the eldest son of the Rev. William Champion Streatfeild^[4] (1839–1912) and Selina Frances Diana Leveson-Gower (1840–1916), and was educated at Marlborough and Pembroke College, Cambridge before being ordained in 1890.^[5] His ministry began with a curacy at Sittingbourne after which he was Curate to his own father^[6]. He then began a long period as Incumbent at several Sussex parishes^[7] before his elevation to the Episcopate. He was only bishop for two months from December 1928. A small brass memorial to him lies in the north aisle of Chichester Cathedral^[8].

Family

William's father, Rev. William Champion Streatfeild, was the sometime Vicar of Howick, Ryton-on-Tyne, Kings Worthy and Frant^[4].

William married Janet Venn (1873–1952), daughter of Henry Venn, under whom William was curate in Sittingbourne, on 7 September 1893. Janet was from a strong evangelical family. Her great grandfather (John Venn) was one of the founders and her grandfather (Henry Venn) honorary secretary of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Her uncle, John Venn was the mathematician famous for Venn diagrams.

Two of William's brothers, Rev Claude Streatfeild (1870–1951) and Rev Roland Harry Streatfeild (1871–1952) were also Church of England Clergymen. Roland was curate to William in Eastbourne.

One of William's daughters was the children's novellist Noel Streatfeild (1895–1986)

William died on 15 February 1929 while travelling on the 9.29 train from Lewes to Eastbourne for a dental appointment, three days after his Diocesan Bishop Winfrid Oldfield Burrows. ^[9]

Notes