My father, Michael Hinton, who has died aged 93, was unusual in having been the headteacher of a grammar school, a private school and a comprehensive school. Subsequently becoming a vicar, he achieved national recognition in 2005 as the author of the 100-Minute Bible, a shortened version of the Bible written in accessible language. Covering the essential elements from Genesis to the Revelation of John, it was designed to be read in just under two hours, and was so successful that it was translated into many languages.
Michael was born in Bristol to Minnie (nee Webber), a nurse, and George Hinton, a maths teacher. He attended Bristol grammar school and then Merton College, Oxford, where he gained a first class degree in history.
He married Jean Lee, a medical technician, in 1950, and they moved to Reading in Berkshire for Michael’s first job – as a history teacher at Reading school. Later, teaching at Lancaster grammar school, he became a chief examiner and gained a PhD at Reading University based on his research into the general elections of 1806-1807, a topic on which, with some certainty, he claimed to know more about than anyone else.
In 1960 Michael became head of Dover boys’ grammar school in Kent, and after eight happy years there he became head of the private Sevenoaks school. His ideas for change there did not meet with approval, and overall he concluded that Sevenoaks had not been an appropriate move.
In 1971 he moved to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, where, having been converted to the principle of comprehensive education, he became head of the new Broadoak school, which was created out of the merger of three schools. Life at Broadoak was constantly challenging, but he kept himself sane with involvement in the local church, dinghy sailing and having five children to bring up.
Despite being an enthusiastic teacher, Michael had always hankered after ordination. After training at Salisbury and Wells Theological College, he was ordained as a priest at Wells Cathedral and in 1985 he became the vicar of the parish of Shepherdswell and Coldred near Dover. He led a thriving church community there, but also found time to write The Anglican Parochial Clergy: a Celebration (1994).
With their love of the sea Michael and Jean retired to Dover in 1995 and threw themselves into volunteer work with Fairtrade, Christian Aid and the local Labour party. Michael also wrote a weekly Christian message in the local paper and was delighted when he was made a freeman of Dover in 2018.
After Jean’s death in 2009, Michael continued to be physically active until he had to move into a residential home in Lingfield in Surrey. He loved reading, watching films, music, worship, learning Greek and following rugby.
He was survived by his children, David, Sally, Geoffrey, Mary and me, and eight grandchildren. Sadly, Mary died of cancer two weeks after his death.
