Betty Ridley
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2013) |
Third Church Estates Commissioner | |
---|---|
In office 1972–1981 | |
Preceded by | Sir Hubert Ashton |
Personal details | |
Born | Mildred Betty Mosley 10 September 1909 |
Died | 1 August 2005 | (aged 95)
Nationality | English |
Education | North London Collegiate School Cheltenham Ladies' College |
Dame Mildred Betty Ridley
Early life
Ridley was the daughter of
Women in the church
Ridley believed that women should be accepted as candidates for Holy Orders. (Her father was at one time chairman of a central Council for Women's Church Work). She took many opportunities to forward this cause. Before her husband died, she was elected to the Anglican Church Assembly and joined the Council for Woman's Work. She played a major part in settling the structures of the Assembly's successor body, the General Synod. For the ten years of its existence, she was at the heart of the new Synod. She served for 25 years on the Central Board of Finance and she was a member "the first woman to be appointed" of the Advisory Council for the Training of the Ministry.
In 1979, Ridley was a founding member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women.[3] In 1982, she chaired the Crown Appointments Commission that led to the appointment of John Habgood as Archbishop of York.
From 1959 to 1981 she was a Church Commissioner, and active on various committees. In 1972, Archbishop Michael Ramsey appointed her to succeed Sir Hubert Ashton as Third Church Estates Commissioner, the first woman to hold the post, which she held until 1981.[4]
Other interests
Ridley was a member of The Bach Choir for most of her adult life and sang under Reginald Jacques and David Willcocks.[5] She also took part in the television programme Evensong, shown in the BBC's Everyman series in December 1992.
References
- ^ Duggan, Margaret (3 August 2005). "Obituary: Dame Betty Ridley". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum Archived 2010-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/95937. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Dame Betty Ridley". The Independent. 10 August 2005. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
External links
- Margaret Duggan "Obituary - Dame Betty Ridley", 'The Guardian, 4 August 2005