The son of an Anglican clergyman, Fr. Edward Tomlinson was born in Wigan before moving to Santiago, Chile as a baby where his father worked as a missionary with SAMS. He returned to England in time for schooling and spent those formative years in Norfolk attending the Cathedral school. He then moved to Homerton College, Cambridge before working as a primary school teacher in Colchester, Essex.
It was here that the boy raised as an Evangelical (for which he gives thanks) encountered Anglo Catholic devotion for the first time. This soon led him to Westcott House in Cambridge to train for the priesthood. At Westcott the joy of encountering Anglo-Catholicism was dampened however by the horror of encountering liberal theology! The reason for his calling came into sharp focus as he avowed to stand up for the orthodox faith with every fibre of his being.
A happy curacy at S. Thomas of Canterbury church in Brentwood prepared him for his current post as vicar of S. Barnabas’, Royal Tunbridge Wells.
He writes a regular column for New Directions, the magazine of Forward in Faith and is also editor of the The Church Observer, a Church Union journal. In addition he writes a daily blog which, much to his surprise, continues to gain a loyal following. He is married to Hayley, a painting conservator at the National Gallery, and has two young children Jemima and Benedict.
I am honored to announce that Fr. Tomlinson has accepted our invitation to join the staff of The Anglo-Catholic. Please join me in welcoming him to the site!
Be sure to follow our Moderator at Eccentric Bliss, his personal blog!
Father, welcome to our happy and growing family!
Welcome to you, Father Tomlinson!
Never can have too many advocates of the game they play in heaven. Though I am Irish I'm delighted your lot beat Oz yesterday.
I've been reading Fr Tomlinson's blog for a long time.
This site is every day better. Really.
Welcome, Father, and I look forward to reading more of your thoughtful and profound reflections. And do please spare a prayer for us in the TAC and labourers in the Anglican vineyard in other lands.
!Bienvenido!
Welcome, Father.
Dear Father
Welcome! I know that what you have to offer will add greatly to the breadth and depth of this excellent blog. And congratulations, too, to Christian Campbell whose has worked so hard to gather in contributors and whose own published work on this site remains at the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Oh, and Conchur, be nice about Australia please. We are feeling the pain!
Forgive me Fr Fleming but I'm hoping salt will be rubbed in those wounds next weekend.
You are very welcome indeed: St Barnabas is familiar to me, because I know your predecessor, Ken Macnab.
And forgive me too — as an avid rugby player and fan — that result was awesome! How the Ozzies must loathe last minute Wilkinson!!!!!