Of all senior clergy who have been involved
with the Auckland Diocese, Bishop Crossley is unusual in that there is very
little on public record about him. He had little time to make any impact during
his brief stay in New Zealand, and his relegation to a minor position after he
left implies that he earned the displeasure of significant people of the time.
Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Bishop Crossley became Curate of St
John's Church, Birkenhead, England in 1888, Vicar of Egremont four years later,
followed by a number of other minor parish positions.
Emigrating to Australia, he became Archdeacon of Geelong in 1904 and Vicar of
All Saints Church, St. Kilda in 1905. He retained these posts until 1911 when he
migrated to New Zealand to be enthroned as Bishop of Auckland.
He resigned in 1913, on grounds of a breakdown in health, to become even more
briefly the chaplain to the Archbishop of Melbourne before returning to England.
In 1914 he was appointed rector of St Andrew's Major, Dinas Powis, Cardiff,
where he died on 3 March 1926.