The Papers of Campbell West-Watson and Post-war Japan in 1947

The story of Campbell West-Watson

Campbell West-Watson was affectionately known as the “Boy Bishop” when he was ordained at just 32 years of age by Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness in 1909.

In 1925 he was appointed Bishop of Christchurch, making the long journey to New Zealand with his family. After the outbreak of World War II, he was ordained as the Archbishop of New Zealand, following the retirement of Alfred Averill.

The John Kinder Theological Library archives have recently processed the papers donated by West-Watson’s son, Martin Sims who had researched his grandfather’s life, eventually publishing the biography Campbell West-Watson: ‘Boy Bishop’ to Archbishop in 2016.

Campbell West-Watson’s papers [KIN-293] document the life of a clergyman dedicated to his church and his adopted country, while also demonstrating his outward-looking vision of the church’s role in the Pacific and the world. He was a strong proponent of ecumenism and church union, leading the National Council of Churches from 1941.

This desire to become an active agent in shaping the global church is evident in his series of meticulous travel journals, documenting his journeys as Bishop and then Archbishop. One these journals documents his visit to Japan in 1947, under the banner of reconciliation and in the shadow of the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States armed forces.

Catch American train for Shimonoseki – 6 hours run.  Pass thro’ Hiroshima – some timber rebuilding – shed style of planks – miles of ruin. 

Campbell West-Watson’s travel journal to Japan, entry dated 29 April 1947. [KIN-293-1-2]

Archbishop West-Watson was invited to attend the triennial Synod of the Episcopal Church of Japan in May 1947. His prior correspondence with his friend Justice Northcroft, who was appointed to the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, may have contributed, along with his support for stronger ties amongst the churches, to West-Watson’s interest in attending the Synod in Nara.

The following photographs and ephemera were included in West-Watson’s papers, documenting his travels through Japan. Nearly all the images were unlabeled. [KIN-293-4-2 (d)]