William Launcelot Scott Fleming

William Launcelot Scott Fleming (1906-1990) was the Anglican Bishop of firstly, Portsmouth and then Norwich, as well as a geologist.

Childhood

He was born on 7 August 1906 in Edinburgh, the youngest of four sons (the second of whom died at the age of five months) and fifth of five children of Robert Alexander Fleming MD LLD, surgeon, of Edinburgh, and his wife, Eleanor Mary, daughter of the Revd William Lyall Holland, rector of Cornhill-on-Tweed. He was educated at Rugby School.

Early adult life

He went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1925, graduating in Geology in 1928, followed by two years as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow at Yale University. He studied for Holy Orders at Westcott House, Cambridge and was ordained deacon in 1933, priest 1934. His early years were spent as chaplain to successive Antarctic expeditions, for which he was awarded the Polar Medal in 1937 [ Who’s Who 1971 p2339 ISBN 0713611405] .

Career progresses

Fleming pursued an academic career, acting as an examining chaplain to a range of Bishops, whilst retaining a base at Trinity Hall, eventually becoming Dean in 1937 [ and an Honorary Fellow in 1956 Who's Who (ibid)] . On the outbreak of war he became a chaplain in the RNVR and served on the Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth. After the war, he returned to Cambridge as Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Episcopates and Parliament

In July 1949 his name was put forward to become Bishop of Portsmouth ["The Times", Saturday, Jul 23, 1949; pg. 4; Issue 51441; col E.] and he was consecrated later that year ["The Times" Wednesday, Oct 19, 1949; pg. 7; Issue 51516; col C ] , although he did not take his place in the house of Lords for another 7 years ["The Times" Thursday, Oct 25, 1956; pg. 4; Issue 53671; col A] . In 1959 he transferred Sees, ["The Times" Monday, Oct 12, 1959; pg. 10; Issue 54589; col B ] becoming Bishop of Norwich ["The Times", Friday, Jan 29, 1960; pg. 9; Issue 54681; col B ] , the first occupant to use the Ancient Throne for 400 Years. A great gift for friendship made him outstandingly effective pastorally; he genuinely cared about people. Although Fleming became a bishop without parochial experience or any great gift for preaching, his unassuming friendliness and humility won over clergy and laity. Portsmouth became an exceptionally well-run diocese, with more than its share of young clergy and ordinands. Norwich, with 650 churches and a shortage of clergy, presented greater problems; he tackled them resolutely and imaginatively, developing rural group ministries and again attracting good clergy. He also played a significant part in planning the University of East Anglia (which, unusually, has its own university chapel). He was an uncanny judge of character, excellent in one-to-one situations. His desk might have looked chaotic, but he was a shrewd administrator with a clear grasp of priorities. A remarkable rapport with young people led to his being made chairman of the Church of England Youth Council (1950–61). Struck by a rare spinal disorder, which seriously affected both legs, he resigned the see in 1971.

An eternally enthusiastic man, in 1960 he realized a lifetimes ambition to ride on the footplate of a train [ "The Times", Friday, Sep 30, 1960; pg. 5; Issue 54890; col D ] and in 1965, at the comparatively advanced age of 58 married Jane Agutter, [ "The Times", Wednesday, Jan 06, 1965; pg. 12; Issue 56212; col C] widow of Anthony Agutter and daughter of Henry Machen, landowner. It was a happy marriage which lasted for twenty-five years but produced no children.

In 1968, most unusually for a bishop, Fleming piloted a bill (the Antarctic treaty) through the House of Lords. Well informed on environmental and ecological issues (he was a pre-war glaciologist of repute), he constantly urged responsible stewardship of the world (his maiden speech in the House of Lords was about cruelty to whales), and the need for international co-operation. He became vice-chairman (1969–71) of the parliamentary group for world government, and a member of the government Standing Advisory Committee on Environmental Pollution (1970–73). At Windsor, he consolidated the reputation of St George's House. His influence on church policy would have been greater but for synodical government: off-the-cuff debate was not his forte.

Later career

On resigning his Bishopric, Fleming was appointed the Queen's domestic chaplain and Dean of Windsor, in which capacity he officiated at the funeral of the Duke of Windsor [ "The Times", Monday, Jun 05, 1972; pg. 2; Issue 58496; col E ] . In 1976 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East Anglia for his work with young people [ Governor of Portsmouth Grammar School, Chairman of Church of England Youth Council and a Trustee of The Prince's Trust Who’s Who (Ibid) ] . He retired to Dorset and died in Sherborne on 30 July 1990. He was cremated and his ashes were interred in the churchyard of All Saints' Church, Poyntington.

Notes

* " [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39998 Fleming, (William) Launcelot Scott] " in the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"