Rev. Charles Noyes Tyndell, Twelfth Rector of Trinity, 1931-1932
Tyndell was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on 2 May 1876 the son o. and Martha Wilson (Noyes) Tyndell. He had attended St. John's Military School at Manlius, New York, and Brown and Nichol's Classical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduation from Colgate in 1894, he attended the Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1900. He married Rebecca H. Lewis the same year and had two daughters, Carrie and Rebecca. He received an honorary degree from Dickinson College in 1921.
Tyndell's career had taken him to pulpits across the country, but he had never placed down firm roots. Between 1914 and 1923 he served as rector of Christ Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. From there he moved in 1923 to St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and then in 1930 to St. George's Church in Terre Haute.
Tall and imposing, Tyndell had an agreeable personality and was well liked by some members of the parish, though one parishioner later recalled that he gave most of his attention to its more wealthy members. He was an able preacher and attracted good attendance. Liturgically, he came from a Low Church background, in contrast to Averill, and he preferred to wear Oxford grey as his usual dress. During his tenure the parish hosted many socials and parties, and musicals were frequently performed from the Parish House stage. Tyndell divided the parish into zones and appointed a captain for each zone, who would spearhead a variety of social activities there.
In 1932, on the bicentennial of the birth of George Washington, the parish celebrated with a special service of commemoration. Tyndell's wife and son-in-law were both related to the president. In the middle of 1932 he requested a three-month vacation, during which time he visited other parishes. When he returned in September he submitted his resignation. He moved to Niagara Falls, New York, to take charge of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Later he moved to Front Royal. Virginia, to take charge of Calvary Church, and he died in Winchester, Virginia, on 11 April 1958. He was buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester.