CANON FANCOURT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 686, 11 June 1929, Page 16

CANON FANCOURT

VICAR OF ST. MARY’S, PARNELL CAREER IN DOMINION A notable New Zealand ecclesiastic, Canon William Fancourt, will in future preside over St. Mary’s pro-Cathedral, Parnell, He has definitely accepted the post of vicar offered him by the wardens and vestry and the Diocesan Selection Committee, but will require to give three months’ notice to his present parish of All Saints’, Palmerston North. SON of the late Archdeacon Fancourt, of Wellington, Canon Fancourt has had a distinguished scholastic and ecclesiastical career in England and New Zealand. He received his early education at Wanganui College, and pursued his studies at Cambridge There he graduated to his B.A. degree in 1902 and took honours in history and tripos. He then underwent training in the Clergy Training School, Cambridge, and was ordained a deacon in 1904 and a priest in the following year by the Bishop of Liverpool. After serving as a curate in the parish of St. Jude in the Liverpool Diocese, Canon Fancourt took his M.A. degree at Cambridge in 1907. Returning to New Zealand he served two years as curate of St. Thomas’s Parish, Wellington. He later became vicar of the Island Bay parish, where he remained until 1912. During the next 12 years he was vicar of St. Thomas’s parish, Wellington, and for the last five years has been vicar of All Saints’ parish, Palmerston North. Since 1919 Canon Fancourt has been one of the Bishop of Wellington’s chaplains. He was appointed an honorary canon of the Wellington diocese in 1925. He has rendered valuable service in many capacities, more particularly on the Standing Committee of the Synod. He was first appointed to the General Synod in 1925, and has twice represented the diocese of Wellington. The Rev. P. T. Williams has been acting-vicar of St. Mary’s proCathedral since Canon James left for Wellington.