William Campbell-Taylor

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The Reverend Dr
William Campbell-Taylor
Councillor for Portsoken
In office
20 March 2014 – 23 March 2017
Councillor[1]
In office
2001–2008
Personal details
Born
William Goodacre Campbell-Taylor

(1965-07-04) 4 July 1965 (age 58)
Woking, UK
Political partyLabour
Children1 daughter (Harriet)[2]
Alma materWestcott House, Cambridge[3]
OccupationPriest

William Campbell-Taylor (also known by the alias William Taylor) is an Anglican priest, writer and former Labour Party councillor,[4] currently serving as the vicar of St Thomas' Church in Clapton Common.[5][6]

Biography[edit]

Campbell-Taylor was born 7 April 1965 to barrister Francis Hunter Campbell-Taylor (1915-1969) and his wife Jeanie Goodacre.[7] He has a brother called Rod and a daughter called Harriet.[2] His paternal grandfather was a Presbytarian minister from the north-east Scottish Highlands[8] whereas his maternal grandfather Reverend John Goodacre, vicar of All Saints, Hanley and the fifth generation of Anglican priests in his family, served with the 59th division of the North Staffordshire Regiment in France and Ireland (where he met his wife) as a military chaplain,[9][10] later earning the Military Cross for his service.[11] His maternal grandmother, Winnifred Purefoy, was born in Dublin to Revd. Amyrald Dancer Purefoy, vicar of Chapelizod, Dublin from 1889, and of French descent.[8] Through his mother he claims descent from Matthew Young who was Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh for the last two years of his life.[8] Following the death of his father by heart attack his mother remarried the artist Charles Longbotham (1917-1999) in 1979.[12][13] In 1991 whilst in training for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge, he was suspended after it was discovered that his girlfriend at the time was pregnant with his daughter (Harriet). His case was referred to the Bishop of Oxford, who eventually allowed him to return to his studies but without the guarantee of ordination.[3]

In 2001 he released an autobiography This bright field : a travel book in one place detailing his early life and journey to the priesthood.[14]

Politics[edit]

In October 2002, Campbell-Taylor along with Maurice Glasman challenged the City of London (ward elections) Bill during its third hearing in the House of Lords, which heavily expanded business voting within the elections of the City of London Corporation.[15][16] In 2012 he cofounded the City Reform Group, a "coalition of thinktanks, faith groups and City businesses" with the goal of reforming the transparency and accountability of the City of London Corporation.[1]

In 2014 he made history when he became the first ever party politician to win a seat on the City of London's Common Council, standing as a Labour candidate in a by-election in the ward of Portsoken, controversially breaking the tradition of Aldermen and Councilmen in the financial capital standing as non-party political independents. [17][18][19] He stood down as a Common Councilman in March 2017 at the end of his time in office. In December 2017, Campbell-Taylor was defeated in the by-election for Alderman of Portsoken Ward by Prem Goyal with a margin of 228 to 143 votes.[20] He previously was a councilman between 2001 and 2008.[1]

Prior to the 2017 Aldermanic by-election for Portsoken, the City Matters website reports that flyers containing an article from "orthodox anglican website" were distributed to residents of the Middlesex Street Estate "accusing the Anglican priest of grooming 'a vulnerable male'" for sex and then attempting "to prosecute him for speaking out". The article states, "Mr Campbell-Taylor described the allegations as 'false' and 'defamatory'", and said that he was a victim of stalking, though to date there is "no evidence" linking any individual to the flyers.[21]

In 2021, the Editor of the Church of England Newspaper published an article which states that a legal complainant of clergy sexual abuse under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 (CDM) had "been subjected to a campaign of harassment and bullying since he reported an indecent assault by a London clergyman" and that "he has now lodged CDM complaints against Bishop Sarah Mullally and the Rev William Campbell-Taylor".[22] In a follow-up article concerning the release by artists Liam Ó Maonlaí and Steve Cooney of a music video about the case, the Editor of the Church of England Newspaper writes, "My article revealed that a legal complaint of clergy abuse filed with a Clergy Discipline Measure, was shockingly leaked by a Bishop to the alleged abuser".[23]

In 2023 he revealed that most of his congregation were from Africa or the Caribbean despite two of the five original trustees of his parish being slave owners and called for further forensic investigation into the founding sources of income for said parish.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Mathiason, Nick (20 December 2012). "City of London Corporation reveals its secret £1.3bn bank account". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. London: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Taylor 2001, p. 342.
  3. ^ a b Taylor 2001, p. 236-237.
  4. ^ "William Campbell-Taylor Profile". the Guardian. Kings Place, London: Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Our Team". Saint Thomas' Parish Church, Clapton Common. Clapton Common. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ Campbell-Taylor, William (12 November 2017). "The City of London Corporation can help others, not just bankers". The Observer. London: Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  7. ^ Taylor 2001, p. v.
  8. ^ a b c Taylor 2001, p. 7.
  9. ^ Taylor 2001, p. 214.
  10. ^ "No. 28733". The London Gazette. 1 July 1913. p. 4638.
  11. ^ "No. 30716". The London Gazette. 31 May 1918. p. 6462.
  12. ^ Fenwick, Simon (4 April 1999). "Obituary: Charles Longbotham". The Independent. Finsbury Square, London: Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  13. ^ "LONGBOTHAM, Charles Norman". Suffolk Artists. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  14. ^ a b Taylor, William (27 April 2023). "Alpha to Omega – history's difficult balance sheet". The Tablet. Tablet Publishing Company. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  15. ^ Taylor, William (23 March 2022). "The City's disenfranchised voters". The Critic. London: Locomotive 6960 Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  16. ^ Hencke, David; Evans, Rob (5 October 2002). "Medieval powers in City trial of strength". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  17. ^ Morris, Nigel (21 March 2014). "'The red flag is flying' over the City of London as vicar wins Labour's first ever seat on the council". The Independent. Finsbury Square, London: Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  18. ^ Pickford, James (21 March 2014). "Labour win raises questions on City of London's independence". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  19. ^ Express KCS (20 March 2014). "By-election gives Labour its first ever seat in the City of London". City AM. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Aldermanic Election Portsoken Ward - Date of Election: 14 December 2017" (PDF). www.cityoflondon.gov.uk. City of London Corporation. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  21. ^ Davy, Jo (30 November 2017). "City council candidate hit by sexual abuse claims". City Matters. City of London. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  22. ^ Carey, Andrew (1 April 2021). "How is the Church to Tackle Safeguarding?" (PDF). Church of England Newspaper. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  23. ^ Carey, Andrew (2 September 2022). "Irish folk singers challenge C of E on abuse" (PDF). Church of England Newspaper. Retrieved 2 September 2022.

Bibliography[edit]

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