Jamie Allen (priest)
Encyclopedia
Jamie Allen is an Anglican priest from England whose work in a rural Wiltshire
parish was covered by the British
television
documentary
and reality television
programme A Country Parish
.
He was born with the name Timothy James Allen, but prefers to be called Jamie. Allen was raised in Woodbridge, Suffolk
in what has been described as a "working class background." He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1999, at the age of 28, after first working as a DJ and as a Religious Education and English teacher. He was a curate for 3 years at St Mary's Abbey in the parish of Nuneaton
until 2002, when he was appointed Rector of Seend
, Bulkington
and Poulshot. After the series aired, there was huge media attention and interest. In 2003 Jamie moved from Wiltshire and resumed ministry in a less-publicized location. He served as a priest in Buckinghamshire
before becoming the vicar of St Andrew's Parish in Great Cornard
in late 2005.
In 2009, Allen moved with his wife, Suzy, and his four children - Danii, Carrie, Katy and Roxanne, to be vicar, and then dean, of the newly-consecrated Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary, New Zealand.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
parish was covered by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
programme A Country Parish
A Country Parish
A Country Parish is a British television documentary made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC2 which was first broadcast in 2003. The programme concerns the life of Jamie Allen who at the beginning of the series is a young, proactive curate from a working-class background in a none too prosperous...
.
He was born with the name Timothy James Allen, but prefers to be called Jamie. Allen was raised in Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
in what has been described as a "working class background." He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1999, at the age of 28, after first working as a DJ and as a Religious Education and English teacher. He was a curate for 3 years at St Mary's Abbey in the parish of Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
until 2002, when he was appointed Rector of Seend
Seend
Seend is a village and civil parish about south-east of the market town of Melksham, Wiltshire. The parish includes the hamlets of Seend Cleeve, Seend Head and The Stocks.Seend village is on a hilltop more than above sea level...
, Bulkington
Bulkington, Wiltshire
Bulkington is a village and a civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about west of Devizes and a similar distance southeast of Melksham.Most of the local children go to primary school in Keevil...
and Poulshot. After the series aired, there was huge media attention and interest. In 2003 Jamie moved from Wiltshire and resumed ministry in a less-publicized location. He served as a priest in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
before becoming the vicar of St Andrew's Parish in Great Cornard
Great Cornard
Great Cornard is a large village located just outside Sudbury, in Suffolk, England.-History:The area now called Great Cornard has been occupied since pre-history, with evidence of Palaeolithic, Bronze Age and Roman settlements in the parish. The village is accounted for in the Domesday Book as the...
in late 2005.
In 2009, Allen moved with his wife, Suzy, and his four children - Danii, Carrie, Katy and Roxanne, to be vicar, and then dean, of the newly-consecrated Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary, New Zealand.