WESTMINSTER ABBEY - Key Persons

Andrew Nethsingha

Job Titles:

Member of the Abbey Board
Organist and Master of the Choristers

Canon Ball is the Canon Rector, having previously held the roles of Rector of St Margaret's, Canon Steward and Almoner. Previously he was Rector of Worth, Pound Hill and Maidenbower in West Sussex. Canon Ball was born and lived for many years in Southern Africa. After studying at the University of Durham, he joined the Diplomatic Service. He had overseas postings in the Middle East and Spain during which time he was ordained as a priest. His last posting was in Damascus where, in addition to his work in the British Embassy and as the Anglican Chaplain, he was the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Heads of the Orthodox Churches in Syria and Lebanon. From there he moved to join Archbishop Rowan Williams' staff at Lambeth Palace where he variously held responsibility for advising on Anglican Communion, Ecumenical, Inter Religious and International relations and served as the Archbishop's Chaplain. In November 2021, Canon Anthony Ball was appointed Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Egypt, with responsibilities across the new Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria. The province of Alexandria, named after the north Egyptian city which was home to one of the earliest branches of the Christian Church, serves ten countries: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Mauritania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.

Charles Darwin

Job Titles:

Scientist and Writer

Charles Robert Darwin, naturalist, is buried in the north aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey, not far from Sir Isaac Newton. He was born in Shrewsbury on 12th February 1809, son of Robert Waring Darwin (1766-1848) and Susannah, daughter of Josiah Wedgwood. He studied with his brother Erasmus at Edinburgh University but disliked the idea of following in his father's footsteps as a doctor. At Cambridge University he became very much interested in natural history and sailed on the ship HMS Beagle in 1831 to South America and the Galapagos islands. In 1839 he married his cousin Emma Wedgwood and they went to live at Downe, a small village in Kent. His famous work "The Origin of Species by natural selection" was published in 1859 and he continued working although his health was often poor. He died at Down House on 19th April 1882.

Charles Dickens

Job Titles:

Writer and Novelist

Charles Kingsley

Job Titles:

Writer, Poet and Priest / Minister

A bust in memory of writer and poet Charles Kingsley was unveiled by his son Maurice on 23rd September 1876 in St George's chapel, Westminster Abbey. Due to the re-siting of the Fawcett memorial within this chapel in 2014 the bust, together with one to F.D. Maurice, was taken down and was re-erected in Poets' Corner, on the window sill near Chaucer's monument.

Dame Clare Moriarty

Job Titles:

Member of the Abbey Board
Senior Independent Member

David Stanton - Treasurer

Job Titles:

Dean
Treasurer

David Stanton is Sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer, with oversight responsibility for all financial affairs and all matters relating to the fabric of the Abbey. He is also a Distinguished Friend of Oxford University, Governor at both Westminster School and Westminster University and Independent member of the Public Services Honours Committee. He was previously Church Commissioner for England, Non-Executive at the Wales Audit Office, Secretary of State Member at the Dartmoor National Park Authority, and Vice Chair of Oxford University Research Ethics Committee (Humanities & Social Sciences Divisions). He was installed as a Canon of Westminster in October 2013, having served for over 8 years as a Residentiary Canon (Precentor and Pastor) at Worcester cathedral. Throughout this time he was a member of the Cathedral Finance committee, the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches and a national Bishops' Adviser for the assessment and selection of candidates for ordained ministry. Between 1990-2005 he was an Incumbent in the diocese of Exeter and at various times Vocations Chaplain (10 years), Rural Dean (7 years), Warden of Readers (7 years), University Chaplain (5 years) and Diocesan Director of Ordinands (2 years). He holds Master's degrees from the universities of St Andrews and Exeter and maintains a professional attention to both financial markets and the conservation of historic buildings. His other interests include the arts, cricket and fly-fishing. He is married with two daughters.

Edward Lear

Job Titles:

Artist and Writer
Writer, Artist

A memorial stone to Edward Lear, writer, artist and ornithologist, was unveiled in Poets' Corner Westminster Abbey on 6th June 1988 by Sir Hugh Casson. It adjoins memorials to Anthony Trollope and D.H. Lawrence. The insert of the profile of Lear is in brown on a white circular background. The inscription reads:

Emily Bradley

Emily has a memorial stone in the west cloister as she was author of "The Deanery Guide to Westminster Abbey" which ran into many editions from 1888 and which was updated and revised as "The Westminster Abbey Official Guide" until 2005. She also wrote "The Roll Call of Westminster Abbey" among other books and articles. Her stone reads:

George Granville Bradley

Job Titles:

Dean and Writer
Dean of Westminster

George Granville Bradley, Dean of Westminster, is buried in the south aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey. A brass, by Messrs Clayton & Bell, covers his grave showing a figure of him and four coats of arms (ie. Bradley, the Abbey, University College Oxford and Marlborough College). The inscription reads: