Chad Varah
Encyclopedia
Reverend Prebendary Edward Chad Varah, CH, CBE
(12 November 1911 – 8 November 2007) was a British Anglican priest
. He is best remembered as the founder of The Samaritans
, established in 1953 as the world's first crisis hotline
organisation, offering non-religious telephone support to those contemplating suicide
.
, Lincolnshire
, the eldest of nine children of the vicar
at the Anglican church of St Peter. His father, Canon
William Edward Varah, a strict Tractarian, named him after St Chad, who, according to Bede
, had founded the seventh century monastery 'ad Bearum', 'at Barrow', which may have occupied an Anglo-Saxon enclosure next to Barton Vicarage.
He was educated at Worksop College
in north Nottinghamshire
and won an exhibition to read natural sciences at Keble College
, Oxford University, quickly switching to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). He was involved in the university Russian and Slavonic clubs, and was founder-president of the Scandinavian Club. He graduated with a third-class degree in 1933.
, but his godfather
persuaded him to study at Lincoln Theological College
, where he was taught by the Rev. Michael Ramsey
, later Archbishop of Canterbury
. He was ordained as a deacon
in the Church of England
in 1935 and as a priest
in 1936. He first served as curate
at St Giles, Lincoln from 1935 to 1938, then St Mary's, Putney from 1938 to 1940, and finally at Barrow-in-Furness
from 1940 to 1942. He became vicar of Holy Trinity, Blackburn in 1942, and moved to St Paul, Clapham Junction in 1949. He was also chaplain of St John's Hospital, Battersea.
The Grocers' Company offered him the living
of St Stephen Walbrook
in 1953. He became rector
of the church, designed by Christopher Wren
, adjacent to the Mansion House
in the City of London
. The church was closed for structural repairs from 1978 to 1987. His son, Andrew, built chairs to replace its pews. Great controversy followed the installation of a large circular altar in travertine marble by Henry Moore
, commissioned by Varah and his churchwarden
Lord Palumbo. The matter was finally settled by the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
in 1987, which granted a retrospective faculty
for its installation.
He was also a supporter of women priests, but preferred the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer
. Despite the absence of a permanent congregation, the church remained popular for weddings. He officiated at the marriage of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones
, only daughter of Princess Margaret to the actor Daniel Chatto
in 1994.
He was made an Honorary Prebendary
of St Paul's Cathedral
in 1975, becoming Senior Prebendary in 1997. He retired in 2003, aged 92, by which time he was the oldest incumbent in the Church of England.
as an assistant curate in 1935, his first church service, at St Peter-in-Eastgate church in Lincoln
, for a fourteen year old girl who died by suicide
because she had begun to menstruate and feared that she had a sexually transmitted disease. He later said "Little girl, I didn't know you, but you have changed the rest of my life for good." He vowed at that time to encourage sex education
, and to help people who were contemplating suicide and had nowhere to turn.
To that end, Chad Varah founded The Samaritans in 1953 in the crypt of his church, with the stated aim that it would be an organisation "to befriend the suicidal and despairing." The phone line, MAN 9000 (for MANsion House), received its first call on 2 November 1953, and the number of calls increased substantially after publicity in the Daily Mirror on 7 December 1953.
He was director of the central London branch of Samaritans until 1974, and president from 1974 to 1986. He was also founder chairman of Befrienders Worldwide
(Samaritans International) from 1974 to 1983, and then its president from 1983 to 1986.
, Robin and Swift
until 1961. He used his scientific education to be "Scientific and Astronautical Consultant" (as Varah put it) to Dan Dare
.
More controversially, but in line with a long-standing commitment to sex education
, he was for the better part of three decades a member of the board of reference of the British edition of the adult magazine Forum from 1967 to 1987. He was patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust
from 1987 to 1999 and an original patron of the Cult Information Centre
.
He wrote a television play, Nobody Understands Miranda, which was broadcast by the BBC
as part of a six-part series about the Samaritans in 1972.
He continued his campaigning work into later life, founding Men Against Genital Mutilation of Girls (MAGMOG) in 1992, and publishing his autobiography, Before I Die Again, referring to his interest in reincarnation
, the same year.
in 1972, and became an Honorary Fellow of Keble College in 1981. He also held several honorary doctorates, and was awarded the Romanian Patriarchal Cross.
He was appointed OBE
in 1969, and advanced to CBE
in 1995. He was created a Companion of Honour in 2000.
, south London. They had four sons (including triplets
) and a daughter. His wife became World President of the Mothers' Union
in the 1970s. She died in 1993. Varah died in a hospital in Basingstoke
, four days before his 96th birthday. He was survived by four of his children, his son Michael
, having died several months before his father.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(12 November 1911 – 8 November 2007) was a British Anglican priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. He is best remembered as the founder of The Samaritans
Samaritans (charity)
Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their telephone helpline. The name comes from the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, though the organisation...
, established in 1953 as the world's first crisis hotline
Crisis hotline
A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. Such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the United States at least since the mid-1970s. Initially set up to help those contemplating suicide, many have...
organisation, offering non-religious telephone support to those contemplating suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
Life
Varah was born in the town of Barton-upon-HumberBarton-upon-Humber
Barton-upon-Humber or Barton is a small town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, and at the end of the Humber Bridge. It lies east of Leeds, southwest of Hull and north northeast of the county town of Lincoln...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, the eldest of nine children of the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
at the Anglican church of St Peter. His father, Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
William Edward Varah, a strict Tractarian, named him after St Chad, who, according to Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, had founded the seventh century monastery 'ad Bearum', 'at Barrow', which may have occupied an Anglo-Saxon enclosure next to Barton Vicarage.
He was educated at Worksop College
Worksop College
Worksop College is a co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 in England. Worksop is split into eight houses - Talbot, Mason, Portland, Pelham and Shirley for boys and Gibbs, Derry and School House for girls.- Origins :...
in north Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and won an exhibition to read natural sciences at Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, Oxford University, quickly switching to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). He was involved in the university Russian and Slavonic clubs, and was founder-president of the Scandinavian Club. He graduated with a third-class degree in 1933.
Clerical career
He was initially reluctant to follow his father's vocationVocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
, but his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
persuaded him to study at Lincoln Theological College
Lincoln Theological College
Lincoln Theological College was a theological college in Lincoln, United Kingdom.-History:It opened on 25 January 1874. It was also known as Scholae Cancellarii. The building on Drury Lane closed in 1995, after having its permit for ordination training withdrawn by the Church of England due to low...
, where he was taught by the Rev. Michael Ramsey
Michael Ramsey
Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...
, later Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. He was ordained as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1935 and as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1936. He first served as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St Giles, Lincoln from 1935 to 1938, then St Mary's, Putney from 1938 to 1940, and finally at Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
from 1940 to 1942. He became vicar of Holy Trinity, Blackburn in 1942, and moved to St Paul, Clapham Junction in 1949. He was also chaplain of St John's Hospital, Battersea.
The Grocers' Company offered him the living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of St Stephen Walbrook
St Stephen Walbrook
St Stephen, Walbrook is a small church in the City of London, part of the Church of England's Diocese of London. It is located in Walbrook, next to the Mansion House, and near to Bank and Monument Underground stations.-History:In the second century A.D...
in 1953. He became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the church, designed by Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
, adjacent to the Mansion House
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The church was closed for structural repairs from 1978 to 1987. His son, Andrew, built chairs to replace its pews. Great controversy followed the installation of a large circular altar in travertine marble by Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, commissioned by Varah and his churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
Lord Palumbo. The matter was finally settled by the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
The Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved is an appellate court within the hierarchy of ecclesiastical courts of the Church of England. Hearing cases involving church doctrine, ceremony, or ritual, the Court has jurisdiction over both the Province of Canterbury and the Province of York...
in 1987, which granted a retrospective faculty
Faculty (instrument)
A faculty is a legal instrument or warrant in canon law, especially a judicial or quasi-judicial warrant from an ecclesiastical court or tribunal.In the Roman Catholic Church, it is "the authority, privilege, or permission, to perform an act or function...
for its installation.
He was also a supporter of women priests, but preferred the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
. Despite the absence of a permanent congregation, the church remained popular for weddings. He officiated at the marriage of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones
Lady Sarah Chatto
The Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto, née Armstrong-Jones , is the only daughter of the 1st Earl of Snowdon and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the second daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She is 17th in line of succession to the thrones of each of the Commonwealth Realms;...
, only daughter of Princess Margaret to the actor Daniel Chatto
Daniel Chatto
Daniel St. George Chatto born Daniel Chatto St. George Sproule, is a British artist and former actor. He is best known as the husband of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who is the only daughter of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and the only niece of Queen Elizabeth II .-Biography:His parents...
in 1994.
He was made an Honorary Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in 1975, becoming Senior Prebendary in 1997. He retired in 2003, aged 92, by which time he was the oldest incumbent in the Church of England.
Samaritans
Varah began to understand the problems facing the suicidal when he was taking a funeralFuneral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
as an assistant curate in 1935, his first church service, at St Peter-in-Eastgate church in Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, for a fourteen year old girl who died by suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
because she had begun to menstruate and feared that she had a sexually transmitted disease. He later said "Little girl, I didn't know you, but you have changed the rest of my life for good." He vowed at that time to encourage sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, and to help people who were contemplating suicide and had nowhere to turn.
To that end, Chad Varah founded The Samaritans in 1953 in the crypt of his church, with the stated aim that it would be an organisation "to befriend the suicidal and despairing." The phone line, MAN 9000 (for MANsion House), received its first call on 2 November 1953, and the number of calls increased substantially after publicity in the Daily Mirror on 7 December 1953.
He was director of the central London branch of Samaritans until 1974, and president from 1974 to 1986. He was also founder chairman of Befrienders Worldwide
Befrienders Worldwide
Befrienders Worldwide is a charity that helps people worldwide who are tempted to suicide or despair. They listen without judging people or telling them what to do. If there is someone to listen, this can sometimes keep a person alive who might otherwise die...
(Samaritans International) from 1974 to 1983, and then its president from 1983 to 1986.
Break with Samaritans
Chad Varah became disillusioned with The Samaritans organisation. He announced in 2004 that, "It's no longer what I founded . I founded an organisation to offer help to suicidal or equally desperate people. The last elected Chairman re-branded the organisation. It was no longer to be an emergency service. It was to be an emotional support".Other works
He was also closely associated with the founding of the comic The Eagle by fellow clergyman Marcus Morris in 1950. He supplemented his income by working as a scriptwriter for The Eagle and its sister publications GirlGirl (comic)
Girl was a weekly comic for girls published from 1951 to 1964. It was launched by Hulton Press on 2 November 1951 as a sister paper to the Eagle, and lasted through Hultons' acquisition by Odhams Press in 1959 and Odhams' merger into IPC in 1963. Its final issue was dated 3 October 1964, after...
, Robin and Swift
Swift (comic)
Swift was a weekly comic published by in the UK as a junior companion to the Eagle. It was founded by the Rev. Marcus Morris and launched by Hulton Press in 1954...
until 1961. He used his scientific education to be "Scientific and Astronautical Consultant" (as Varah put it) to Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
.
More controversially, but in line with a long-standing commitment to sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, he was for the better part of three decades a member of the board of reference of the British edition of the adult magazine Forum from 1967 to 1987. He was patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity that campaigns on various issues related to AIDS and HIV. In particular, the charity aims to reduce the spread of HIV and promote good sexual health ; to provide services on a national and local level to people with, affected by, or at risk of...
from 1987 to 1999 and an original patron of the Cult Information Centre
Cult Information Centre
The Cult Information Centre is a British organization that provides information and advice to members of what the organization terms as cults, as well as affected family members, members of the press and scholarly researchers. The organization also serves as a resource for information on...
.
He wrote a television play, Nobody Understands Miranda, which was broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as part of a six-part series about the Samaritans in 1972.
He continued his campaigning work into later life, founding Men Against Genital Mutilation of Girls (MAGMOG) in 1992, and publishing his autobiography, Before I Die Again, referring to his interest in reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
, the same year.
Honours/awards
Rev Chad Varah was awarded the Albert Schweitzer Gold MedalAlbert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
in 1972, and became an Honorary Fellow of Keble College in 1981. He also held several honorary doctorates, and was awarded the Romanian Patriarchal Cross.
He was appointed OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1969, and advanced to CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1995. He was created a Companion of Honour in 2000.
Personal life
Chad Varah married Susan Whanslaw in 1940 in WandsworthWandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, south London. They had four sons (including triplets
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
) and a daughter. His wife became World President of the Mothers' Union
Mothers' Union
Mothers’ Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. Its members are not all mothers or even all women, as there are many parents, men, widows, singles and grandparents involved in its work...
in the 1970s. She died in 1993. Varah died in a hospital in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, four days before his 96th birthday. He was survived by four of his children, his son Michael
Michael Varah
George Peter Michael Varah was a British international athlete and later a Chief Probation Officer.Varah was eldest of triplet boys born in the vicarage of Holy Trinity, Blackburn to Dr Chad Varah and his wife Susan. His father was the local Anglican vicar, who founded the Samaritans in 1953...
, having died several months before his father.
Writings
- Before I Die Again: The Autobiography of the Founder of Samaritans. (London: Constable, 1992).
- The Samaritans in the 80s. (London: Constable, 1980).
External links
- The Life and Work of Chad Varah, Samaritans
- Samaritans founder dies aged 95, BBC, 8 November 2007
- Obituary, BBC, 8 November 2007
- Obituary, The Guardian, 8 November 2007
- Obituary, The Times, 9 November 2007
- Obituary, The Independent, 10 November 2007
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 12 November 2007
- Edward Chad Varah, Founder of the Samaritans (National Portrait Gallery photograph and painting)
- London Gazette notice of CBE
- Obituary at Independent Catholic News site
- IMDb