Biography
Knowles was educated at Dunstable Grammar School and King's College London, spending his final year of theological studies at St Augustine's College, Canterbury.
Knowles served a curacy at St Peter-in-Thanet in Broadstairs, Kent from 1974 to 1979. From 1979 he was precentor and senior curate of Leeds Parish Church before moving to become precentor and a canon residentiary at Portsmouth Cathedral in 1981. He was also chaplain during his time at the cathedral and held the post of chapter clerk from 1985 to 1987. He became the vicar of Leigh Park in 1987, additionally taking on the role of Rural Dean of Havant from 1990. He was appointed Archdeacon of Portsmouth in 1993 and held the post until 1999.
Knowles was Dean of Carlisle from 1999 until he moved to the Isle of Man as Bishop of Sodor and Man in 2003, replacing Noel Jones. He was consecrated a bishop by David Hope, Archbishop of York at York Minster on 4 December 2003 and installed at Peel Cathedral on 17 January 2004. He became Dean of St Paul's in 2007 in succession to John Moses who retired in 2006.
Knowles resigned from St Paul's on 1 November 2011 following backlash against the Chapter's resolution to forcibly evict the Occupy London protesters from outside the cathedral.
Knowles is also an honorary chaplain in the Royal Naval Reserve and a patron of the Burgon Society.
Since leaving St Paul's, Knowles has retired to Bury St Edmund's, where he has been licensed as an honorary assistant bishop.
Read more about this topic: Graeme Knowles
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