The Rev’d Canon David Parrott BA LLM, the Guild Vicar at St Lawrence Jewry and Chaplain to the City of London Corporation, has formally retired. A reception in David’s honour was held by the Corporation at the Guildhall in the City last week to bid him a formal farewell.
Held in the Livery Hall at Guildhall on Wednesday, guests included City Corporation members, officers and associates from the Livery Companies with whom David has worked, as well as family and friends. The Archdeacon of Charing Cross represented the Diocese.
David has been Guild Vicar at St Lawrence Jewry and Chaplain to the Corporation for 12 years. The church is the official church of the Lord Mayor of London and the City of London Corporation, and stands in the Yard of the Guildhall.
In recent years, David has worked with others in the City, including the Corporation, the Guild Church Council and the Diocese of London, to bring about a major restoration project at St Lawrence Jewry. This landmark work will ensure the church can be enjoyed by future generations for decades to come.
The Rev’d Canon David Parrott said:
“It has been a great pleasure to be Guild Vicar of St Lawrence Jewry, a unique post in the Church of England. I have worked alongside many civic organisations to fulfil our mission of ‘Bringing the light of Christ to the City of London’. The City is a very special place and will remain in my heart as I move into the next stage of life.”
The Venerable Luke Miller, the Archdeacon of London, said:
“David has given distinguished service as Guild Vicar of St Lawrence Jewry for over 12 years and has been Chaplain to the City of London Corporation and to many livery companies and other organisations in the City and across London.
“Thanks to the restoration project which he was so instrumental in bringing about, he leaves a wonderful legacy in bricks and mortar. But so much more than that is his legacy as a pastor, chaplain and friend to so many. He will be very much missed in the City, the City Deanery and beyond.”
Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, said:
“For more than a decade, David has been a source of continuity and a reassuring presence during some turbulent times for the City, including the London Bridge terror attacks of 2017 and 2019 and the Covid pandemic.
“He will be very much missed by all of those who have worked with him and appreciated the counsel and guidance he provided to so many during his time in the Square Mile. I’d like to wish him and Sue all the very best for the future.”
David formerly worked for twenty-five years in Chelmsford Diocese, before moving to St Lawrence Jewry in 2009. He has been Chaplain to eleven Livery companies in the City of London, as well as being a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers and the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders. He has a wide ministerial background, with particular interests in ministerial formation, preaching and church law. David is married to Sue and they have two adult sons.
David formally retired on 31st October 2021.
