The Communion Table in the Chancel of The Royal Chapel in St. John's is dedicated to the Memory of the late Lord Bishop Charles Thornton-Duesbury.
Charles Thornton-Duesbury was the Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1925 to 1928.
'The table is a splendid example of craftsmanship in carved oak, and the work was executed by Mr. J. D. Kelly, of Michael. It bears an inscription carved in the wood, which reads:
"In Affectionate Memory of C. L. Thornton-Duesbury, Bishop of this Isle, 1924-1928,"
A grant towards the cost of the table was made by the Manx Government and the balance was subscribed by the communicants of St. John's Church.'
Source: Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, December 12, 1930
The actual inscription on the table is:
"In Affectionate Memory of C. L. Thornton-Duesbury D. D. Lord Bishop of this Isle 1925-1928"
In the Peel City Guardian on Saturday, December 13, 1930 the table was described as: ‘both graceful in outline and also adorned with very beautiful carving - as ornamentation - which is perfectly in keeping with the other adjuncts of the Church...'
Charles Leonard Thornton-Duesbury (3 February 1867 – 11 March 1928) was the Anglican bishop of Sodor and Man from 1925 until his death in 1928.
He was a native of the Isle of Man and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. His Ordination was in 1891, and his first post was as a curate at St George's in Marylebone, London. Subsequently he held incumbencies at St Mark's Barrow-in-Furness, St Peter's Islington, and St Mary's Leyton and finally, before his ordination as Bishop.
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At the Dedication Services for the table Lord Bishop W. Stanton-Jones 'referred to his honourable predecessor as a man of many fine qualities. He had known him for many years when they had worked together in the district of Marylebone, and he found three outstanding characteristics in his life. The first was hopefulness. Wherever one might meet him he was always bright and happy, looking only for the great amount of good to be found in most people, and always going through life himself as a cheerful and sunny man.
The second characteristic was faithfulness. He never courted popular approval. Wherever he went he worked quietly and unobtrusively, but the work was always efficiently, and well done. He was faithful as a parish priest, and as a man, and when he (the Bishop) first came to the Island, he was struck by the amount of work his predecessor had got through here. The third outstanding thing in his character was the spiritual quality of the man. Therein lay the secret of his life and faithfulness. He never talked a great deal about religion, but he was a man of deep conviction of the spirituality of life, and wherever he went he was always regarded as a good and sincere man.
The Bishop also remarked that it was fitting that a memorial to a faithful Government service should be placed in a Government church...'
Source: Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, December 12, 1930.