Edward Henry Bickersteth | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Exeter | |
 | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Exeter |
| In office | 1885–1900 |
| Predecessor | Frederick Temple |
| Successor | Herbert Edward Ryle |
| Other post | Dean of Gloucester (1885) |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 25 April 1885 by Edward White Benson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1825-01-25)25 January 1825 |
| Died | 16 May 1906(1906-05-16) (aged 81) |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Spouse | (1) Rosa Bignold (2) Ellen Susanna Bickersteth |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Edward Henry Bickersteth (25 January 1825 – 16 May 1906) was abishop in theChurch of England and he held the office ofBishop of Exeter between 1885 and 1900.
Edward Henry Bickersteth was born inIslington, the son ofEdward Bickersteth, Rector ofWatton, Hertfordshire. He was educated atTrinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in Classics 1847, and proceeded M.A. in 1850.[1] and was awarded theChancellor's Gold Medal for poetry in 1844, 1845 and 1846.[2]
On takingHoly Orders (deacon, 1848, priest 1849),[3] he becamecurate ofBanningham,Norfolk, and then of Christ Church,Tunbridge Wells. He was called to theRectory ofHinton Martell in 1852 and to theVicarage ofChrist Church, Hampstead in 1855,[3] a position in which he remained for 30 years.
In 1885 he becameDean of Gloucester and in the same year was appointedBishop of Exeter. Bickersteth was awarded an honorary D.D. byCambridge University in 1885.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Bickersteth undertook a number of extended overseas mission tours in support of the work of theChurch Mission Society and theSociety for the Propagation of the Gospel. In 1880 he travelled to India and the Middle East. 1891 he travelled to Japan on a visit to the mission churches of theNippon Sei Ko Kai, reuniting with his eldest sonEdward, then serving as the firstBishop of South Tokyo. Arriving inYokohama on 23 September 1891,[4] the travel journals of his daughter, Mary Jane Bickersteth,[5] include detailed descriptions of the Anglican church's mission work in Japan as well as visits to sites such as theShrines and Temples of Nikkō and the experience of surviving the strongMino–Owari earthquake atOsaka on 28 October 1891.[6]
Bickersteth editedhymnals and was an accomplished poet. Beginning with a volume of poems in 1849, he published extensively. HisHymnal Companion called forth fromDr. Julian, editor ofA Dictionary of Hymnology, these high words of praise: "Of its kind and from its theological standpoint, as an evangelical hymn book, it is in poetic grace, literary excellence, and lyric beauty, the finest collection in the Anglican Church;" and the author's contributions to this volume are pronounced "very beautiful and of much value." His most popular hymn was "Peace, Perfect Peace".[7]
Bickersteth married twice. His first marriage was in February 1848 to his cousin Rosa, daughter of SirSamuel Bignold of Norwich; she died in 1873, having borne him six sons and ten daughters. Almost 20 years later, in 1876, he married his cousin Ellen Susanna, daughter of Robert Bickersteth of Liverpool, who survived him without issue.[8]
| Church of England titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Dean of Gloucester 1885 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Exeter 1885–1900 | Succeeded by |
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| People | |
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