Gilbert Joyce

Who was Gilbert Joyce?

Gilbert Cunningham Joyce was a university educator and Bishop of Monmouth.

He was educated at Harrow School, and Brasenose College, Oxford. He took his BA in 1888, MA in 1892, BD in 1904, and DD in 1909.

After studying briefly in Germany he was ordained deacon in 1892 by Bishop Lewis of Llandaff, and was sub-warden of St Michael's College, Aberdare, from 1892 to 1896, receiving priest's orders in 1893. From 1897 to 1916 he was Warden of St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden, and in 1916, he was made principal of St David's College, now the University of Wales, Lampeter. The college at Lampeter was founded in 1822 as a theological college, but had, by 1916, liberalised its admissions policy and curriculum. Joyce, due to his own background in the clergy, wanted the college to return to its theological roots. He advocated an abandonment of the college charter which allowed it to award Bachelor of Arts degrees, but the college board voted down the proposals. As a result, Joyce resigned from his post as principal.

After his departure from Lampeter in 1923, Joyce became Archdeacon of the diocese of St David's, and succeeded Charles Green as Bishop of Monmouth on 30 November 1928.