Clergy

Holy Trinity's servants over the centuries

Holy Trinity has a reputation for unusually long service and dedication to the parish by its servants: since the church’s construction in the late seventeenth century there have only been 16 priests.

The longest-serving minister was the flamboyant Rev Richard Bingham who, in 1789, succeeded his father as priest and went on to hold the post for an incredible 66 years. They were years of some notoriety – Bingham, who was a wealthy man and a builder (he developed much of the Newtown area of Gosport) – was known for his regular court appearances. It was Bingham who built the magnificent five-storey vicarage on Trinity Green, only to have it immediately commandeered by the Board of Ordnance as a residence for the Commandant of Royal Engineers. A legal battle ensured that it would be returned to the church on Bingham’s death.

Other lengthy incumbencies were those of Canon Cyril Barclay, who was vicar of Holy Trinity for 32 years from 1935 – and thus saw the church through some traumatic years, including the wartime bombings of the town and the subsequent large-scale redevelopment of Trinity Green; and Fr John Capper, who succeeded him and went on to serve for 33 years. The upstairs meeting room is named in his honour.  

• 1701: Revd William Ogilvie

• 1709: Revd William Dugarde

• 1730: Revd Charles Monckton Jnr

• 1733: Revd Thomas Symonds

• 1747: Revd Samuel Dugarde

• 1767: Revd Michael Phillips

• 1789: Revd Isaac Moody Bingham

• 1792: Revd Richard Bingham†

• 1858: Revd William Skipsey-Saunders

• 1884: Revd Oliver Ogilvie

• 1889: Revd William Lee

• 1912: Revd Henry Woolsey†

• 1927: Revd William McWaters

• 1935: Revd Canon Syril Barclay

• 1968: Fr John Capper†

• 2003: Fr Ian Booth

• 2007: Fr Andy Davis

• 2021: Fr Godfrey Chigumira

† Vicar died in post