DEATH OF A BISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 8

DEATH OF A BISHOP.

GRANDSON OF THE'FAMOUS SLAVE' • '■;■■' LIBERATOR.- ' ■" Dr. , ; Ernest"Roland■ ;V .'Wilderforce, liincty- ' fourth . Bishop 'of' Cliiche'ster; died' oh. Se'ptem- • ior 9 from paralysis, at BDmbridge; Isloof' Wight. ■' He was'sixty-sovcn ■.years old., It is a singular coincidence'that' he should' lia've' ■ died in the islandj as ho, was bqriiiand married there.'' : : •■: '•'■' '■' ■•' :, ' : '..•■•:"• The Bishop was. a member of a' family which :has stood .high; in the' esteoni.'of the nation-for: generations. 'The name of his grandfather, William. Wilbprforce, will bp for ever •associated with''the cause, of liberty, while-many! of" the anti-slavery leader's- descendants'have added Insirc, by their sot-, vices; to the Church of England;"'' '. ■ Bishop l Wilberforce's.: grandfather ' was ' mainly;responsible for the Bill for the abolition of slavery, which passed both \ Houses of Parliament one hundred years ago, in 1807. ; -. .■ ■ ■•■' .■>-,,..v>•..,-«••;.- :•• 1 William Wilborforce had three sons.two of ■whom—both clergymen—left" the Church of England for the Roman Catholic Church. The. late Bishop's father !was William Wilberforce's third son, .the famous orator, bamucl Wilborforco,' who 'became Bishop of i Oxford, and subsequently ~ of.. .Winchester. Samuel Wilberforce was also the' father'. of another celebrated Wilbbrforce—the present. Archbishbp' of Westminster; • and' permanent Chaplain to' of Commons, the.Von/ Archdeacon' Albert' Basil Ormo Wilberfprce, The lato Dr. Wilborforce was educated at Harrow and Exeter College, Oxford. ,He be- ■. came Rector ',' of Middlcton Stoney,. near JJicester, in 18G6. Three years later he. was appointed domestic .chaplain Ito.tho Bishop of Winchester,'Sub-Almoner\to Queen' Vic- ; toria' in 1871, and Canon,.. of Winchester in ; 1878.' In 1882, lie' was consecrated' Bishop of Newcastle. "He became Bishop of Cbichester in'lß9s/- Bishop Wilberforco was an ardent teetotaler,butan inveterate smoker, and he inherited much of''.' his ' famous ;'., father's diocesan energy. ■■■■~'• ', ~ '.:'.''" . There'is a pathbtic coincidence in the 1 fact of Dr. dying so soon after Dr. Lloyd, of Newcastle.. Tho two Bishops were friends : at Oxford in their youth, "and, when in 1882;' Dr. Wilberforce' was'apppintcd first ]Sishop;bf 'Newcastle; ho gave the vicarage of the city to Dr. Lloyd; There was considerable objection raised in certain quarters-, but the latp Dr. Lloyd sO;bndeared'himself to. the people of the Northern diocese"thatj'.wheri'ine bocam'Oj, ultimately, Dr..'; Wilberforce's suc.cosspr in the choice was hailed with-'onthiisiasm.' When Dr.' Lloyd died sud-denly,'-a little over' two- months ago,' the Bishop of Chichester travelled-to Newcastle to officiate, at his funeral, in spite .of the fact that he was, himself in a frail state of health.