Thomas Sprott (bishop)

Thomas Henry Sprott,^[1] OBE^[2] (26 September 1856 – 25 July 1942) was an Anglican priest in the first half of the 20th century.

Born on 26 September 1856 at Dromore, County Down,^[3] he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin^[4] and ordained in 1879.^[5] Following curacies at Holy Trinity, Kingston upon Hull^[6] and St John the Evangelist, Waterloo Road,^[7] he became Minister of St Barnabas', Mount Eden, Auckland^[8] in 1886.

From 1892 until 1911 Sprott was Vicar of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington^[9] when he was elevated to the episcopate as the 4th bishop of Wellington, a post he held for 25 years.^[10] Described as a "a profound divine who for years tried to fathom the deeps of modern reasoning",^[11] he died on 25 July 1942.^[12] His wife^[13] Edith survived him and died in 1945, but his son (who was awarded the Military Cross in 1917)^[14] died on active service with the Norfolk Regiment in March 1918.^[15]

Sprott House, a residential home for the elderly in Wellington, New Zealand, is named for him.

• Thomas Henry & Edith Sprott