Thomas Craske

Frederick William Thomas Craske was Bishop of Gibraltar from 1953 to 1959.

Family and education

Craske was born on 11 May 1901, son of William James Craske, and educated at King's College London. He therefore graduated Bachelor of Arts from the University of London and Associate of King's College before embarking on an ecclesiastical career. He married Nellie, daughter of a Harold Wilson; they had two sons.

Priestly ministry

He was made deacon at Michaelmas 1927 by Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral and ordained priest the following Michaelmas by William Temple, Bishop of Manchester, at Manchester Cathedral. He served his title at St Chrysostom's Church, Victoria Park.
He was on the staff of the Student Christian Movement of Great Britain from 1929 until 1932 ; during which time he was also an assistant curate at All Hallows Lombard Street and a lecturer at King's College in 1932. After this he held incumbencies at John the Evangelist Read-in-Whalley and St John the Evangelist, Blackburn. From 1939 to 1950 he was education secretary to the Missionary Council of the Church Assembly while also serving as founding General Secretary of the Church of England Youth Council and a Select Preacher at Cambridge in 1943. He was representative of the British Council of Churches in Germany, 1950-1953, serving also as an Examining Chaplain for Guy Smith, Bishop of Leicester.

Episcopal ministry

Craske was consecrated into bishop's orders on St Andrew's Day 1953, by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Canterbury Cathedral. While Bishop of Gibraltar, he became a Fellow of King's College in 1954; and a Chaplain and Sub-Prelate of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1956. He resigned his See in 1959 to become Moderator of the Central Advisory Council for the Ministry ; he served as Assistant Bishop of London from 1961 until his death at home in Raynes Park. He became Chairman of the Prison Chaplaincies Council of the Church Assembly in the same year.