Frederick Arthur Simpson (22 November 1883(?) or 1884 – 6 February 1974) was an Anglican priest, historian and a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.'Rev F. A. Simpson' The Times (London, England), Saturday, February 9, 1974, Issue 59010, p.16.
Career Simpson was educated at Rossall School'University Intelligence' The Times (London, England), Tuesday, February 25, 1902, Issue 36700, p.8 and Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1906; and M.A. in 1909. He was ordained deacon in 1909 and priest in 1910, serving his title at St Mary and St Anne, Ambleside.Crockford's Clerical Directory 1973/4 p 1150: London; OUP; 1973 He became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1911,'University Intelligence' The Times (London, England), Saturday, March 11, 1911, Issue 39530, p.4. and was a temporary Chaplain to the Forces from 1915London Gazette 27 August 1915 p8539 to 1918. While Dean of Chapel at Trinity Simpson controversially queried the divinity of Christ.
He wrote the first two volumes of a life of Louis Napoleon. After this he spent most of the rest of his college life pruning college shrubbery, and was known as "Snipper Simpson"."A Field Guide to the English Clergy' Butler-Gallie, F p51: London, Oneworld Publications, 2018
His change of direction has been attributed to an unfavourable review by Philip Guedalla, but John Polkinghorne ascribes it to an "inner loss of nerve."
Personal life Simpson was described as a tall, stooped and craggy-featured figure usually wearing a cloth cap and dangling scarf. He had flown the English Channel in his own Gypsy Moth light aircraft. During the early 1930s he was associated with Guy Burgess when the latter was an undergraduate at Trinity College.
Bibliography The Rise of Louis Napoleon Louis Napoleon and the recovery of France
References
Further reading
External links Trinity College Chapel