Stephen Pedley, a Church of England bishop who led the Diocese of Lancaster for seven years, has died at age 85.
Pedley was born in Coventry to Geoffrey, a priest, and studied history at Queens’ College, Cambridge, before training for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon in Oxfordshire. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1966 and began his ecclesiastical career as a curate at Liverpool Parish Church. During his tenure there, he met Mary Macdonald, a clergyman’s daughter training as a teacher; they married in 1970.
Throughout his career, Pedley held positions at multiple institutions and locations. He served as a curate at Holy Trinity Coventry starting in 1969, then relocated to Kitwe in Zambia from 1971 to 1977. Upon returning to northeastern England, he worked as vicar at Stockton, rector at Whickham, and residentiary canon at Durham Cathedral. He also served as chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II beginning in 1984.
Pedley was appointed bishop of Lancaster in 1998, based in Blackburn, where he served until his retirement in 2005. Colleagues and parishioners described him as deeply engaged with the cultural and historical traditions of the Church of England. Following his retirement from the episcopacy, he became an honorary assistant bishop for the Diocese of Newcastle.
Pedley is survived by his wife Mary, their three children—Mark, Andrew, and Philippa—and six grandchildren.
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