Seaborn, Robert Lowder, 1911-1993 : The Most Reverend Dr. Robert Lowder Seaborn (1911-1993), Anglican Archbishop, Bishop of Newfoundland, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada, was born in Toronto on 9 July 1911, one of seven children of the Reverend Richard Seaborn (1857-1930), Rector of St. Cyprian's, Toronto, Ontario, and his wife Muriel Kathleen Reid Seaborn (1883-1964). On 29 January 1938, he married Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Gilchrist (b. 14 May 1915), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George M. Gilchrist of Toronto. They had five children, Richard, John, Jane, Alan and Michael.
R.L. Seaborn obtained his B.A. in 1932; his M.A. in 1934; his B.D. in 1938; and his D.D. (jure dignitatis) in 1948, from Trinity College, Toronto. He was ordained deacon in the Anglican Church of Canada in 1934 and priest in 1935, in Toronto. Following a curacy at St. Simon's, Toronto, 1934-1936, he studied in England at Oxford University, 1936-1937, and then returned to Canada to become Curate at St. James' Cathedral, Toronto, 1937-1941.
From 1941 to 1948, he was Rector at St. Peter's, Cobourg, Ontario, but his ministry there was interrupted by his service as an army chaplain during Second World War. He joined the Canadian Chaplain Service in August 1942 and served at first with the 3rd Battalion of the Queen's Own Rifles. After going overseas in 1943, he served with the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He was wounded in the Normandy landings on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and received the Croix de guerre avec étoile de vermeil from the French government. Seaborn remained with the Canadian Scottish Regiment throughout the remainder of the North-West Europe Campaign and finished with them in Germany on VE Day. He was with the Khaki University for a couple of months in 1945, before returning to Canada in October of that year.
From 1948 to 1957, he was Dean and Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, and also served as Immigration Chaplain. In 1957, he became Rector of St. Mary's Kerrisdale, Vancouver, B.C., as well as examining chaplain to the bishops of the Yukon and New Westminster.
In 1958, R.L. Seaborn was consecrated Assistant Bishop of Newfoundland, then in 1965, he was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Newfoundland and in the same year succeeded Bishop J.A. Meaden as Bishop of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1975, he was elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada (which included the dioceses of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Fredericton, Quebec and Montreal). In the following year, the new Archbishop presided over the splitting of the large diocese of Newfoundland into three (the dioceses of Western, Central, and Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador). He himself became Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador at that time.
After his retirement in 1980, Seaborn served as Bishop Ordinary to the Canadian Armed Forces, 1980-1985. Following his Second World War service, Seaborn had retained his interest in the military and, in addition to attending the reunions of his regiment, had served as Legion padre and chairman of the Poppy Day fund in Cobourg; as chaplain (militia) to the Royal Rifles of Canada while in Quebec; and as padre to the West Coast Garrison in Corner Brook while he was Assistant Bishop of Newfoundland. As Bishop Ordinary, he was responsible for all Anglican chaplains serving in the forces, as well as for overseeing the pastoral care of Anglicans serving on various military bases across the country and overseas. During his retirement, Seaborn also served as Chancellor of Trinity College, Toronto, 1982-1990. He died in Cobourg, Ontario, on 15 February 1993.
