Christopher Watts

Christopher Charles Watts (also rendered Charles Christopher Watts; 6 May 1877, Kensworth - July 1958) was an Anglican Bishop. Watts was the son of the Revd George Edward Oscar Watts, Vicar of Kensworth, Bedfordshire in England. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating BA in 1899 and proceeding MA in 1904.^[1]

Career

He was ordained deacon in 1900 and priest in 1901 by the Bishop of London, serving as curate of St. Mark's, Noel Park, London (St Mark's Website). In 1907 he went out to Southern Africa, and began work as Priest-in-charge of Mbabane in Swaziland in the diocese of Zululand, and headmaster of St. Mark's European School (until 1920), and St. Mark's Coloured School. In 1917 he was appointed Canon of St. Peter's Cathedral, Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, and from 1918 he served as Archdeacon of Swaziland.

He returned to England in 1927, to his old parish of St. Mark's, Noel Park, where he served as Vicar until 1929. In 1930 he assumed duties as Warden of Zonnebloem College, Cape Town. In 1931, however, he was chosen to be Bishop of St Helena, being consecrated as such in St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town, on St. Barnabas' Day, 11 June 1931 by the Archbishop of Cape Town, assisted by the Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, and Bishop Williams. He was enthroned in St. Paul's Cathedral, St Helena, on 12 July 1931.

Watts served as Administrator of the diocese of Damaraland, in 1934-1935, and in 1935 was translated as second Lord Bishop to Damaraland. He resigned his diocese in December 1938, and returned to live in South Africa. He served as Rector of Victoria West with Carnarvon, in the diocese of Cape Town (1939-1940); and as Rector of Knysna (1940-1946); and Priest-in-charge of Riversdale (1946-1947), both in the diocese of George. He retired in 1947.

Watts was married to Madoline Beatrice Adams in 1930.

References

• The Times, 25 July 1958.