THEOLOGIAN & ECONOMIST

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 276, 18 August 1919, Page 8

THEOLOGIAN & ECONOMIST

DEATH OF ARCHDEACON CUNNINGHAM.

The death is announced in the London "Times" of the Ven. William Cunningham, D.D., Archdeacon of Ely, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.. Archdeacon CunniughVm won the Junior Greek Medal at Edinburgh University in 1866. He 'took his M.A. degree there in 1870, but had byt'hat time migrated to Cambridge. He entered at G.onville and Caius ' College, but afterwards obtained a scholarship at Trinity, which became his home for the greater part of his life.

Cunningkajn was ordained deacon in 1873 and priest in 1874 by the BWliop of Ely (Dr. EusSell Woodford) and became curate of Hohiingsea. In the latter year, during the early days of the University Extension movement, lie accepted a lectureship in Lancashiro. being at the same time curate of St. Saviour, Everton. These early ■ efforts as a public teacher save him a bent which ho never lost. With a pronounced Scottish accent and an often hesitating utterance, Ti6 coupled a clearness of intellect and a well-founded confidence in his knowledge, which impressed his ■ pupils and gavo them a true impression of iliis strength. It was the same thins, whether lie wss treating the more philosophical side of Christianity, for instance, in tho Hulscan lectures, which' ho gave in 1835, and which were published with the title of "St. Austin and'his Place in ihe History of Christian Thought"; or whetiher he was pursuing, in the steadv direction of Tariff Reform, tho?!! investigations into the economic aspects of the history of commerce, which made it so difficult for a.cute commercial experts to realise that this . cfuiable investigator was "only a parson."

He was soon back in Cambridge, whore he accepted the curacy of fircat St. Mary's, under the late Dr. iLunrd, in 1870, becamn Chaplain of Trinity College in 1880. Deputy ,to Hie Kin'shtebridge Professor in 1881, mid University Lecturer on History in 1884. To these in 1891 he added 'the Professorship of Economics nt King's -College London, and in 1899 he went to Harvard Universilv to lecture on ihis fnvourilo subject. It was only in 1891, and tlmn quite nut of the usual course, that Trinity College elected him to a fellowship. By that time li" h>wl bpen four yeara vicar of Great St. Mary's.

Hitherto Cui'ninghnm had remained lirrgely acadomio in his experience, imd was a High Churchman from personal conviction rathor than; because bo tri in tlie main current of Church life. But in 180T t.he clergy of the flioccse elected him their Proctor in Convocation, he w-i<! made rural dean of Cfinibridw in 1891. honorary ennon of Ely in 18115, (ihn year in which Oonvillo nnrl Cain l ! Collogo gave him flic welcome compliment of nn honornry Fellowship; nnrl in 1!W Archdi'iicon Emery's resignation enabled tho Bishop of Tily to anpoint Cc'tn Cunningham lo the Archdeaconry of.Elv. A lnboriou , ; stiuleiii. ho puzzled t:lio onlooker with tho number nnrl )■!"• variety of thn dnlies nnd sluclips which ho pursued without apparent llmrry, having always a moment to spare to greet n'-'l 'ircup with a friend.

Eis death is a ."Mat lo« to Convocation, for he was almost the only skilled economist in the Lower House, and l\o had both the courage and the. knowlertso needejl to examine and criticise Uhose pronouncements on the "moral witness" of the Churoh which are so apt to degenerate Into political pamphlets.