Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston (15 June 191320 April 1998) was an English Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Stepney in London before becoming the second Archbishop of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He was best known for his anti-apartheid activism and his book Naught for Your Comfort.

Early life

Huddleston was the son of Ernest Huddleston and was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire, and educated at Lancing College (1927–1931), and ordained a priest the following Michaelmas (26 September 1937) – both times by Clifford Woodward, Bishop of Bristol, at Bristol Cathedral.

South Africa

In September 1940, Huddleston sailed to Cape Town, and in 1943 he went to the Community of the Resurrection mission station at Rosettenville (Johannesburg, South Africa). He was sent there to build on the work of Raymond Raynes, whose monumental efforts there, building three churches, seven schools and three nursery schools catering for more than 6,000 children, had proved to be so demanding that the community summoned him back to Mirfield in order to recuperate. Raynes was deeply concerned about who should be appointed to succeed him. He met Huddleston who had been appointed to nurse him while he was in the infirmary. As a result of that meeting, much to Huddleston's surprise as he had only been a member of the community for four years, Raynes was convinced that he had found his successor.

Over the course of the next 13 years in Sophiatown, Huddleston developed into a much-loved priest and respected anti-apartheid activist, earning him the nickname Makhalipile ("dauntless one"). He fought against the apartheid laws, which were increasingly systematised by the Nationalist government which was voted in by the white electorate in 1948, and in 1955 the African National Congress (ANC) bestowed the rare Isitwalandwe award of honour on him at the famous Freedom Congress in Kliptown. (30 November) by Leonard Beecher, Archbishop of East Africa, at St Nicholas', Ilala, Dar es Salaam, to serve as Bishop of Masasi (Tanzania), where he worked for eight years, primarily in re-organising the mission schools to be run by the newly independent government of Julius Nyerere, with whom he became a firm friend. He became Bishop of Stepney, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of London.

In 1974, Huddleston was questioned by the police in connection with complaints of alleged sexual impropriety made by the parents of four boys who had been playing in Huddleston's office. In his statement, Huddleston said: "I have never done anything to harm a child... The boys are telling the truth but the implications of indecency are completely absurd." The police report recommended charging him with four counts of gross indecency, but because of his high profile, the matter was referred to the director of public prosecutions, Sir Norman Skelhorn. Skelhorn decided not to charge him after consulting Labour party figures. According to some sources, the existence of the investigation and report was uncovered only as part of research for the 2004 publication of Piers McGrandle's biography (see below). However, there was no reason for the report to be public, if the case for prosecution had been dismissed.

Bishop Gerald Ellison, the Bishop of London when Huddleston was Bishop of Stepney, also said that political enemies of Huddleston were involved.

Ellison said: "I want to make it absolutely clear that I have seen no evidence that Bishop Trevor was ever guilty of a criminal act. He undoubtedly had many enemies in South Africa and England who wanted to denigrate him, indeed, to destroy him." Ellison was also clear that neither he, nor his legal advisers, believed anyone had the right to impede justice if there was any real evidence of guilt. However, Sam Silkin, the Attorney General at the time who had taken the decision not to prosecute, later said on the radio:

::"I found that I was in difficulty as the man was very well known. If he had been prosecuted at all, it would have ruined his career. Within the DPP's department, everyone thought he would be acquitted, though there was clearly evidence."

After ten years in England, Huddleston was appointed in 1978 as the Bishop of Mauritius, a diocese of the Province of the Indian Ocean. Later in the same year, he was elected as the Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean.

In 1994, Huddleston was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (LHD) degree from Whittier College.

Death and legacy

thumb|Stained glass window memorial to Huddleston in Lancing Chapel

Huddleston died at Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England, in 1998. A window in memory of him is in Lancing College chapel and was visited by Desmond Tutu. They had become friends when Huddleston visited a young Tutu in hospital when he was ill with TB. They later worked together opposing apartheid. The Huddleston Centre in Hackney has been delivering youth provision to disabled young people living in Hackney for more than 30 years, and continues to do so. The centre bears Huddleston's name after he intervened to ensure that part of a church building was converted to provide an accessible nursery, play (and latterly youth club) space for disabled young people in Hackney, regardless of their faith. The Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown was established in 1999 following Huddleston's death and the interment of his ashes in the garden of Christ the King Church in Sophiatown where he had been active and then supervised mission activity for 13 years. The Centre delivers youth development programmes in Johannesburg as well as heritage and cultural projects promoting Huddleston's belief in developing the potential of every young person and his commitment to non-racialism, multi-faith issues and social justice.

In addition, he also bought the first trumpet of Hugh Masekela, a South African trumpeter, composer and singer, and got Louis Armstrong to give Masekela one of his own trumpets as a gift. Aged 21, Masekela left South Africa for the UK where Huddleston helped him secure a place at the Guildhall School of Music, and then he went to New York, where he began to craft his signature Afro-jazz style, under both Armstrong and Gillespie. Masekela was joined at the event by special guest and New York-born jazz pianist, Larry Willis, whom Masekela first met in those early days in Manhattan. Masekela later gave the Fr Huddleston Memorial Lecture at a special event in central London to mark the end of Huddleston's Centenary Year (June 2013-June 2014), and the 20th anniversary of democratic elections.

Hosted by the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre (based in Sophiatown, Johannesburg), the Gala Evening raised funds for the work of the Memorial Centre, to help young entrepreneurs get a foothold in the creative industries in South Africa. The Memorial Centre runs training and incubation for entrepreneurs, and awards the Fr Huddleston Arts Bursary to one young South African annually, giving them experience in a UK community arts setting for 3–6 months. In this way, the legacy of Huddleston in assisting young people is continued.

Writings

Books

Huddleston wrote five books, the seminal two being:

Prayer for Africa

A well-known prayer of Huddleston's is the "Prayer for Africa". It has been recited throughout South Africa, Tanzania and other African countries.

<blockquote><poem>

God bless Africa,

Guard her people,

Guide her leaders,

And give her peace.

</poem></blockquote>

Alternative version (with emphasis on children):

<blockquote><poem>

God Bless Africa,

Guard her children,

Guide her leaders,

And give her peace, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

</poem></blockquote>

Another alternative version:

<blockquote><poem>

God bless Africa, God bless Africa,

Guard her children, guide her leaders.

God bless Africa, God bless Africa,

God bless Africa and bring her peace.

</poem></blockquote>

Anglican parishes in South Africa now routinely say the original prayer, or a variation thereof near the end of their regular services. A slightly different variation is used every week.

Barry Smith who served as Director of Music at the St George's Cathedral in Cape Town, composed a musical accompaniment for the version that emphasizes children.

See a recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou_dlJGR0Pg

See also

  • Graham Chadwick

Notes and references

Further reading

  • Audio samples
  • Obituary by Aelred Stubbs
  • The Life and Work of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston: links and biography on ANC website
  • Items from the Press on the Death of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston: ANC website
  • Trevor Huddleston CR Memorial Centre, Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Naught for Your Comfort online text at archive.org