The Venerable William Alexander Dunstan "Nobby" Noblett, CBE (born 16 April 1953) is an Anglo-Irish retired Anglican priest[1] and manager. He was Chaplain-General of Prisons from 2001[2] to 2011.[3]
The Venerable Noblett was educated at The High School, Dublin, Southampton University, and Salisbury & Wells Theological College, with a B.Th. from Southampton in 1978, graduating with an M.Th. in Applied Theology at Oxford University in 1998.[4] He was ordained deacon in 1978 and priest in 1979. After a curacy in Sholing he served the Church of Ireland as the Rector of Ardamine Union in the Republic of Ireland from 1980 to 1982. He was a Chaplain in the RAF from 1982 to 1984;[5] and Vicar of St Thomas, Middlesbrough from 1984 to 1987.
In the late 1980s he entered the chaplaincy service of HM Prisons. Noblett was a chaplain at Wakefield, Norwich and Full Sutton prisons 1987-2001, before becoming Chaplain General and Archdeacon of Prisons. The Venerable Noblett was a Canon and Prebend of York Minster from 2001 to 2012, and is a Canon Emeritus; an Honorary Canon of Liverpool Cathedral from 2009 to 2012; and has been a Chaplain to the Sovereign since 2005. He received the 2013 Perrie Award for his 'outstanding contribution to the criminal justice system'. During his time as a prison chaplain, he published "Prayers for People in Prison" (1998) and "Inside Faith: praying for people in prison" (2009).
In 2009 the Venerable Noblett was made an Honorary Life Member of the American Correctional Chaplains Association in recognition of his leadership.[6] At the conclusion of the Venerable Noblett's term as Chaplain General, which saw him criticised for a perceived condescending attitude towards traditional religious belief,[7] the Church of England faced the possible loss of the Chaplain General's position.[8][9]
- ^ ‘NOBLETT, Ven. William Alexander’, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013; online edn, Dec 2013 accessed 29 March 2014
- ^ Church news The Times (London, England), Tuesday, 5 June 2001; pg. 16; Issue 67157
- ^ BBC News
- ^ Debretts
- ^ London Gazette 8 June 1982
- ^ "Home". perrie. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Today, Christian (24 July 2006). "Chaplain General Called to Resign Following Prison Discipleship Course Closure". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Church of England faces a fresh blow with the loss of leading role in prisons". 7 July 2023. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-17020294