Church Westminster Abbey Spouse Muriel Gwenda McConnel Successor Eric Abbott In office 1946-1959 Name Alan Don Predecessor Paul de Labilliere | Nationality British (Scottish) Role Chaplain Ordination 1917 Denomination Anglican Died May 3, 1966 | |
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Other posts Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons (1936–1946)
Chaplain and Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury (1931–1941)
Provost of St Paul's Cathedral, Dundee (1921–1931) Education Magdalen College, Oxford, Rugby School | ||
Alan Campbell Don (3 January 1885 – 3 May 1966) was a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, editor of the Scottish Book of Common Prayer, chaplain and secretary to Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, from 1931 to 1941, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1936 to 1946 and Dean of Westminster from 1946 to 1959.
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Early life and ordained ministry
Born into a manufacturing Dundee family, the son of Robert Bogle Don and Lucy Flora Campbell, he was educated at Rugby and Magdalen College, Oxford. Deciding the family business was not for him, studied for ordination at Cuddesdon College before becoming a curate in Redcar followed by an incumbency in Yorkshire.
There then followed a 10-year period as provost of the cathedral in his native city. From 1931 until 1941 he was secretary to Cosmo Gordon Lang and became a chaplain to King George V. Already the speaker’s chaplain in 1941 he became a canon of Westminster Abbey as rector of St. Margaret's, Westminster, commonly called "the parish church of the House of Commons".
Dean of Westminster
This was followed in 1946 by elevation to the post of Dean of Westminster, a post he was to hold for 13 years, a period which included the Queen's Coronation
Retirement
He retired to Canterbury where, although he was married, he and his wife met only once a week for lunch. He died on 3 May 1966.