Editing Randall Davidson (section)

==Bishop==
===Rochester===
By 1890 it was clear that despite the Queen's reluctance to lose him from Windsor, Davidson's promotion to a bishopric was overdue.<ref>Bell (Volume I), pp. 189–190</ref> He was offered the choice between two vacant dioceses: [[Anglican Diocese of Worcester|Worcester]] and [[Diocese of Rochester|Rochester]].<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 193</ref> At the time – before the creation of the [[diocese of Southwark]] – Rochester included all London south of the [[River Thames]], and was the third-largest in England. Davidson chose it in preference to Worcester, explaining to the Prime Minister, [[Lord Salisbury]], that from his years at Lambeth he knew the area and its clergy so well that he was certain he could do more there than in Worcester, which he hardly knew.<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 194</ref>

[[File:Randall-Davidson-1890.png|thumb|upright=0.6|left|alt=Bald white man in middle age, wearing clerical collar and black clothing|Davidson in 1890]]

In [[Westminster Abbey]] on 25 April 1891 Benson consecrated Davidson as a bishop.<ref name=con>"Consecration of New Bishops", ''The Times'', 27 April 1891, p. 6</ref> Eleven days later Davidson fell dangerously ill from a [[perforated ulcer]], and was confined to his house in [[Kennington]] for six months.<ref name=odnb/> His enthronement at [[Rochester Cathedral]] had to be postponed until October, when he was able to resume his work.<ref>"Enthronement of the Bishop of Rochester", ''[[The Morning Post]]'', 23 October 1891, p. 3</ref> During a miners' strike in 1893 he was prominent in pleading for a decent standard of living as an essential condition for the settlement of labour disputes. His politics were not radical; he did not join the [[Christian Social Union (UK)|Christian Social Union]] set up by Westcott and others in 1889 to bring the tenets of Christianity to national economic and social affairs.<ref name=h21>Hughes, p. 21</ref> He focused on the role of the church: Christian charity, he believed, required it to do everything possible to help relieve the poor. He rejected the idea that "in any department of social life&nbsp;... we can safely brush aside even for an hour the consideration of what Christ would have us do".<ref>Hughes, pp. 20–21</ref> Appointed [[Clerk of the Closet]] immediately after his consecration, he remained in close touch with Queen Victoria. He continued to be Benson's close and loyal ally in the work of the church, particularly during 1894–95 when Halifax and other high churchmen attempted to draw the Archbishop into negotiation with [[Roman Catholic Church|Rome]] to seek [[papal]] recognition of Anglican [[holy orders|orders]].{{refn|Davidson warned Halifax that a mere recognition of Anglican orders by the papacy would do nothing to overcome the deeper divisions between Rome and Canterbury.<ref>Hughes, p. 22</ref> Halifax's intervention had the reverse effect from the one he intended: [[Pope Leo XIII]] formally made the Vatican's position explicit, declaring Anglican orders null and void in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 237</ref>|group=n}}

In 1895, towards the end of his time in the diocese, Davidson's seniority as a bishop entitled him to a seat in the [[House of Lords]].{{refn|The 26 senior diocesan bishops sat, and (2023) still sit, as [[Lords Spiritual]] as opposed to [[Lords Temporal]].<ref>[https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/lords-spiritual-and-temporal/ "Lords Spiritual and Temporal] Parliament.co.uk. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105225619/https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/lords-spiritual-and-temporal/ |date=5 November 2019 }}. Retrieved 8 December 2019</ref> Davidson succeeded to a seat on the death of [[James Atlay]], [[Bishop of Hereford]].<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 241</ref>|group=n}} He relished the ability to contribute to debates, but he had suffered three more spells of illness during his four years in south London, and it became plain that his health was too poor for him to continue in the exceptionally demanding post of Bishop of Rochester.<ref name=dnb/>

===Winchester===
[[File:Randall Thomas Davidson.png|right|thumb|alt=caricature of bishop in a shovel hat and gaiters|upright|As [[Bishop of Winchester]], by [[Leslie Ward|Spy]] in ''[[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', 1901]]
In 1895 Davidson accepted the offer of [[Translation (ecclesiastical)|translation]] to the largely rural [[diocese of Winchester]], where the workload was less onerous. He renewed his regular contact with the Queen, who spent much time in the diocese, at [[Osborne House]] on the [[Isle of Wight]].<ref name=odnb/> Archbishop Benson died the following year and was succeeded by the Bishop of London, [[Frederick Temple]].{{refn|The three candidates considered were Temple, Davidson and [[Mandell Creighton]]. The last had been consecrated bishop alongside Davidson in 1891,<ref name=con/> and distinguished himself as [[Bishop of Peterborough]], and was favoured by the [[Archbishop of York]] ([[William Maclagan]]) and the [[Edward VII|Prince of Wales]] to succeed Benson; Queen Victoria would have preferred Davidson; and Salisbury's conclusive recommendation was for Temple. Creighton was then invited to succeed Temple at London.<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 284</ref>|group=n|name=london}} The Queen vetoed a proposed offer of the vacant bishopric of London to Davidson, on the grounds that his health would not stand it.<ref name=odnb/> Temple, unlike his two predecessors, did not turn to Davidson for advice;{{refn|Temple incorrectly suspected Davidson of seeking the appointment to the see of Canterbury for himself.<ref name=b287>Bell (Volume I), pp. 287–289</ref> Temple had earlier said of Davidson, "My only doubt is whether so much political sagacity is altogether compatible with perfect piety".<ref>Lee and Clark, p. 236</ref>|group=n}} he had a reputation for isolating himself from all the bishops and their views. Davidson greatly regretted his sudden exclusion from national church affairs.<ref name=b287/>

Within his diocese Davidson was drawn into controversy over a high-church breach of [[Canon law#Anglican Communion|canon law]] by [[Robert Dolling]], a fervent Anglo-Catholic priest, who liked to be called "Father Dolling". Davidson discovered that Dolling had installed a third [[altar]] at his newly built church, to be reserved for [[votive mass|masses for the dead]]. The Church of England disowned the [[Roman Catholic]] belief in [[Purgatory]] and the efficacy of praying for souls in it.{{refn|Number XXII of the [[Thirty-nine Articles of Religion]] reads "The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God".<ref>[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/articles.pdf "Articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole Clergy"], Society of Archbishop Justus. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205061907/http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/articles.pdf |date=5 February 2018 }}. Retrieved 10 December 2019</ref>|group=n}} Davidson saw Dolling and tried to reach a compromise that would bring the latter's practices within Anglican rules. Dolling refused to compromise and resigned, leaving the diocese.<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 278</ref> His supporters were critical of Davidson; Mews cites a high-church journalist who concluded that the episode left its mark on Davidson "in forming his determination not to be the archbishop who drove the high-church party out of the Church of England".<ref name=odnb/> Though traditionally Protestant in his rejection of some aspects of Roman Catholic doctrine such as [[Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament|Benediction]], he thought his evangelical colleagues were too easily upset by "[[Religious use of incense|incense]], [[cope]]s and other adornments", which had no doctrinal significance.<ref>Barber, pp. 436–437</ref>

Davidson was at the bedside of the dying Queen Victoria, and played a major role in the arrangements for her funeral in early 1901.<ref>Hughes, p. 25</ref> When the [[see of London]] again fell vacant in February 1901, on the death of [[Mandell Creighton]], it was offered to Davidson, who refused it on firm medical advice.<ref>Bell (Volume I), pp. 360–361</ref> He spoke frequently in the House of Lords, particularly on such topics as education, child protection, alcohol licensing, and working hours in shops.<ref name=t2/> He involved himself when he could in national church policy. His grasp of the issues impressed the Prime Minister, [[Arthur Balfour]], who recorded that "the Bishop has the art of stating with great clearness and sympathy the gist of opinions from which he differs" and said that he understood the position of Halifax and the Anglo-Catholic lobby better after discussing it with Davidson.<ref>Bell (Volume I), pp. 349–350</ref>

Balfour continued to seek Davidson's advice. The government sought to reform primary education, and Davidson's input to the framing of the [[Education Act 1902|Education Bill]] of 1902 was greatly valued by Balfour, as was his advice on how to defend the bill against vociferous [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]] opposition, led by the [[Baptist]] minister [[John Clifford (minister)|John Clifford]].<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 377</ref> Behind the scenes, Davidson was a key contributor to the [[coronation of Edward VII]] in August 1902; the [[George Granville Bradley|Dean of Westminster]] was ill, and Davidson was called on to arrange the order of service and to act as the link between [[Buckingham Palace]] and Lambeth Palace.<ref>Bell (Volume I), p. 370</ref> Four months after crowning the King, Archbishop Temple died and Balfour nominated Davidson as his successor.<ref name=t2>"New Archbishop of Canterbury", ''The Times'', 9 January 1903, p. 8</ref>