John Bateman-Champain

John Norman Bateman-Champain was a British Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of Knaresborough, the suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Ripon. He had previously been a first-class English cricketer, making five appearances ; he was a right-handed batsman.

Early life and education

Bateman-Champain was born at Richmond Hill, Surrey. Bateman-Champain was born into a military family, son of army officer John Underwood Bateman-Champain. John Norman was educated at Cheltenham College and Gonville and [Caius College, Cambridge], and studied for ordination at Wells Theological College.

Sporting career

Bateman-Champain played 2 first-class matches for Gloucestershire in 1899, with his debut for the county coming against Lancashire and his second and final first-class match for the county coming against Nottinghamshire. Additionally, he also represented the Free Foresters in a 3 first-class matches, firstly in 1919 against Cambridge University and Oxford University and finally against Oxford University in 1920.

Ecclesiastical career

Upon graduating theological college, Bateman-Champain was made deacon at Advent 1903 and ordained priest the following Advent — both times by George Forrest Browne, Bishop of Bristol, at Bristol Cathedral. He served his title as assistant curate of St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol until 1908; from 1904 onwards, John Maud was Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe. His first post was overseas as vicar of Krugersdorp and St Boniface Church, Germiston. On the Feast of the Ascension 1912, he was instituted Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe. During the Great War he was interviewed for a commission with the Army Chaplains' Department, and was described as an 'attractive personality A1'. He was sent to the Western Front and, from 1918, served at General Headquarters.
Remaining at Redcliffe until 1928, he became also Rural Dean of Bedminster starting in 1927, before a ten-year stint as Vicar of Newcastle Cathedral. While at Newcastle, he was the first Vicar to bear the additional title Provost, becoming Provost of Newcastle in 1931. His final appointment was as Bishop of Knaresborough, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Ripon; alongside this, he held the Rectory of Methley. He was consecrated a bishop on St Matthias' day 1938, by William Temple, Archbishop of York, at York Minster. On 15 July 1944, he was appointed as the second principal of the RAF Chaplains' School based at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Clergymen with a sporting background were favoured in the RAF Chaplains Branch, and the Master of Magdalene College would later comment that Bateman-Champain's presence in college "brought lustre and distinction to the scene". He continued as Bishop of Knaresborough until retirement to Bristol in 1948.

Family and later life

Bateman-Champain was part of a large cricketing family. His brothers Claude, Francis and Hugh all played first-class cricket, as did his brother-in-law Frederick Currie. His uncles Fendall Currie, Revd Sir Frederick Currie, Robert Currie and William Currie also played first-class cricket.
During his second time at Redcliffe, he married in 1912, Jean Monsell Maud, eldest daughter of John Maud, previously Vicar there but by then Bishop of Kensington; they had two sons and two daughters. One son was killed on active service in 1943. Bateman-Champain died at Westbury-on-Trym on 22 October 1950.