Right Reverend David Galliford (1949)

Clare College recently honoured the life of the Right Reverend David Galliford (1942) with the installation of a commemorative plaque beside the Chapel organ, where he once served as Organ Scholar. His daughter, Clare Winstanley, visited the College at the end of June to mark the occasion and reflect on his journey.

Galliford arrived at Clare in 1942 as a talented pianist, performing on Forces radio during the war and even receiving an offer to join the famous Joe Loss band — an opportunity he turned down to return to Clare and complete his studies. Encouraged by a mentor to switch from music to theology, he went on to train for the ministry at Westcott House in Cambridge, before taking his first curacy in Hull, where he met his future wife, a Sunday school teacher — and Clare Winstanley’s mother.

His career included a post at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he recalled Winston Churchill complaining about the stuffy air during his installation, as well as senior roles across the Church of England. He was headhunted to Middlesbrough, served in York where he raised £2 million for restoration of the Central Tower of the Minster, and went on to become Bishop of Hulme and later the inaugural Bishop of Bolton. Even in retirement, he remained active in ministry, leading ‘magic carpet’ services in his care home to bring the outside world to residents.

The new plaque honours his lifelong commitment to service and marks the place where his journey in theology first began.