The College is saddened by the death of alumnus the Right Reverend Bishop Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford.

On 10 February, Bishop Andrew said that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On 19 February he wrote to the Diocese that his condition was terminal.

As reported in The Telegraph, “Andrew John Watson was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on July 16 1961 to Angus Watson, then director of music at Stowe School, and his wife Alison. The family later moved to Hampshire after his father’s appointment as music director at Winchester College. Andrew was educated there and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he read law.

A keen musician like his father, Watson played the bassoon in the National Youth Orchestra from 1974 to 1976, and at Cambridge he held a college choral exhibition. His love of music remained a strong feature of his ministry and he wrote a setting of George Herbert’s Love bade me welcome, which was sung at his consecration as Bishop of Guildford in 2015, as well as, in 2021, a Mass for choir and organ to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the consecration of Guildford Cathedral.”

Although Bishop Andrew studied law at Corpus and sang in the College Choir, he gave up thoughts of becoming a lawyer or a musician and trained at Ridley Hall. He was ordained in 1987.

Announcing his death in a letter, the Bishop of Dorking, the Right Reverend Paul Davies, said: “Whilst his family mourn the loss of a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, son and brother, we mourn the loss of a much-loved diocesan bishop -as well as an inspiring fellow disciple, dear brother in Christ, precious friend and special colleague.”

Davies said that “in the midst of the shock and sadness” Watson had been an inspiration.

“For me, personally, he has taught me so much about how we should live and, in these past months, about how we should die,” he added.

The College Chaplain, Revd Dr Robert Hawkins, said “Our Chapel community was very sad to hear of Bishop Andrew’s death, and moved to hear of the courage and faith with which he faced his illness. We have been praying for him in Chapel, and for his family, his friends, and the church he served.”

Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of Heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears or hopes, but one equal possession; no ends or beginnings, but one equal eternity, in the habitations of thy glory and dominion, world without end.