Thomas Sheppard, the Bath-based former managing partner of law firm Thrings, has been installed as a lay canon of Wells Cathedral in recognition of his continuing service to the Church and its community.
The honorary position has been conferred by the Bishop of Bath and Wells on Thomas, pictured, who has been with Thrings since 1975 and remains active at the firm through his consultancy role.
He will now take a seat in the Cathedral’s College of Canons and be installed as its new prebend of the cathedral.
Through this he will also become part of the ‘Chapter’, the traditional name for the governing body of the cathedral, which is made up of senior clergy and laity, operating much like a board of directors to oversee all elements of the running of the cathedral.
Alongside his work at Thrings – where he provides legal advice on a range of matters affecting families, their businesses and family relationships – Thomas has spent decades supporting the charitable and not-for-profit sector across Somerset, including familiar organisations such as Dorothy House, the RUH NHS Trust, Bath Festivals, the University of Bath and the Bath Preservation Trust.
He currently serves as a Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset, having previously also been recognised for his service by being appointed the county’s 960th
High Sheriff in 2021, the same year he was appointed as a trustee of Bath Abbey. He also now chairs the much-loved charity Bath City Farm.
Wells Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells and has been a constant presence in the city and the diocese for almost 850 years.
In recent times it has held a very strong musical tradition and served as Somerset’s church at times of national celebration and mourning.
The Chapter is currently working on a number of projects, including resoration of Vicars Close, the oldest continuously occupied residential street in Europe and the home to the members of the cathedral choir for almost 600 years – with Thomas keen to deploy his experience in property and heritage on the scheme.
Thomas said: “Helping to enrich the communities in which we live is very important to me and it is a pleasure to continue to find new ways in which I can do this on behalf of people in Bath and across Somerset.
“The current cathedral started construction in 1175 and so is long established, not just in the city but across the whole of Somerset. It is a tremendous honour to be appointed to Chapter and become a lay canon and I consider myself very fortunate to have been invited by the Bishop to take on this unusual role and play a part in steering the cathedral and its community at a time of great social change.
“Being part of the Vicars Close project is a very exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to transforming this internationally significant architectural site for generations to come.”
Thrings also has offices in Bristol, London, Lydney, Romsey, Ross-on-Wye and Swindon.
