Early Clergy of Pennsylvania and Delaware, S. F. Hotchkin, 1890 - Chapter 17, Bishops of Delaware Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja and Sally Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ________________________________________________ EARLY CLERGY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE. BY REV. S. F. HOTCHKIN, M.A. Author of The Mornings of the Bible, History of Germantown, &c. P. W. ZIEGLER & CO., PUBLISHERS, NO. 720 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 1890 Copyright, 1890, by Rev. S. F. Hotchkin. NOTE: Use URL: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/hotchkin/early-clergy.htm to access other chapters. BISHOPS OF DELAWARE. 224 CHAPTER XVII. BISHOPS OF DELAWARE. RT. REV. ALFRED LEE, S.T.D., LL.D. THE sketches of St. Andrew's Church, Wilmington, and Grace Church, Brandywine Hundred, in this volume show that Bishop White and Bishop H. U. Onderdonk performed Episcopal duty in Delaware before it had its own bishop. An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, of April 1st, 1887, states that Bishop Lee was born in Cambridge, Mass., Sept. 9th, 1807, in the mansion which is the subject of Longfellow's poem, "The Old House by the Lindens." He graduated at Harvard University, and practiced law in New London, and afterward studied theology in the General Theological Seminary in New York, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Brownell, in Trinity Church, Norwalk, Conn., and priest by the same bishop in Christ Church, Hartford, Conn. He became rector of Calvary Church, Rockdale, Pa., in 1838, and was called from this parish bordering on Delaware, to the Episcopate of Delaware in 1841, by an election held at Georgetown, Bishop Onderdonk being present. He was consecrated in St. Paul's Chapel, New York, by Bishop Griswold, (who was then the presiding bishop), R. C. Moore, Chase, Brownell, H. U. Onderdonk, Meade and McIlvaine. Bishop Lee was the youngest of the twenty-one bishops of the House of Bishops. In 1884, when Bishop Smith died, he became the Senior Bishop in date of consecration. BISHOP LEE. BISHOPS OF DELAWARE. 227 He put forth volumes on the Lives of St. Peter and St. John, and a Memoir of Miss Susan Allibone, and a book entitled "Voice in the Wilderness," and another called "Eventful Nights of Bible History." Bishop Lee attended the Lambeth Conference in England in 1878, where he received much attention. He died in Wilmington, April 12th, 1887, in his 80th year, and the 45th of his Episcopate. The Churchman, (of April 23d), traces his ancestry to England, his grandmother being Mary Pitt of the family of the two noted statesmen. His father was an English midshipman associated with Nelson and Collingwood. Bishop Lee married Julia White, daughter of Elihu White, of Hartford, Conn. The degree of S.T.D. was given him by Trinity College, Hartford, and Hobart College, Geneva, while Harvard University granted him the title of D.D., and Delaware College that of LL.D. In 1863 the Bishop visited Hayti to perform Episcopal duty, and in 1874 assisted in consecrating Dr. Holly as Bishop of Hayti. In 1875 he visited Mexico for ordination and confirmation, and took a deep interest in that mission work. Bishop Lee was a fine scholar and a devoted Christian and a patient worker in Christ's vineyard. His dying hour was solaced by the Psalm declaring that the Lord was his Shepherd, and the soul commended to God went to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Bishops Williams, H. C. Potter, Whitaker, M. A. DeW. Howe, Scarborough, Peterkin, William Boone, Paret and Walker, and a host of clergy and laity attended the funeral of the good Bishop at St. Andrew's Church on the 18th of April. Bishop Howe's touching address is given in substance in The Church, of April 30th, in which he painted the young Bishop at his consecration when Dr. Wainwright, BISHOPS OF DELAWARE. 228 afterward Bishop of New York, holding the Ordinal for Bishop Griswold, the consecrator to read. He described also his faithful life. In the same paper Rev. B. J. Douglass well notes the Bishop's scholarship, gentlemanly and fatherly bearing, love of nature and Christian purity. RT. REV. LEIGHTON COLEMAN, S.T.D., LL.D. Bishop Coleman was born in Philadelphia, May 3rd, 1837, his father being the Rev. John Coleman, D.D., for many years rector of Trinity Church, in the same city, and editor of the Banner of the Cross. Educated at the Episcopal Academy and at the General Theological Seminary, New York, from which latter institution he graduated in June, 1861. On July 1st, 1860, he was ordered deacon by Bishop Alonzo Potter, in St. James's Church, Philadelphia, and during his senior year at the seminary was missionary to the public institutions of New York on Blackwell's and Randall's Islands. He became the first rector of St. Luke's Church, Bustleton, Phila., in which church he was advanced to the priesthood by Bishop Alonzo Potter on May 15th, 1862. From Advent Sunday 1863 to 1866 he was rector of St. John's Church, Wilmington, Delaware. From Advent Sunday 1866 to 1874 he was rector of St. Mark's Church, Mauch Chunk, Pa. He then removed to Toledo, Ohio, where he was rector of Trinity Church until 1879, when, on account of his wife's health he went abroad, and remained there until 1887. While in Europe, he was constantly engaged in ministerial work, and was for several years the Organizing Secretary for the Diocese of Oxford of the Church of England Temperance Society. In 1887, he became rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Sayre, Pa., BISHOP COLEMAN. (By permission of James Pott, publisher.) "BISHOPSTEAD." BISHOPS OF DELAWARE. 233 remaining there until he was consecrated on St. Luke's Day, 1888, Bishop of Delaware. In 1875, he was chosen first Bishop of Fond du Lac but declined the election. Received the honorary degree of A.M. from Trinity College in 1865, of S.T.D. from Racine College in 1875, and of LL.D. from Hobart College in 1887. In July 1861 he was married to Frances E., oldest child of Alexis I. du Pont, of Delaware. Bishop Coleman resides at Bishopstead, which was the abode of Bishop Lee. It lies on the Brandywine Creek in a beautiful situation. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd has been added by the munificence of a layman. It was consecrated on Easter Tuesday, 1890, (April 8th), Bishop Paret, of Maryland, preaching the sermon from Exodus, 28:28-29. "Every Evening" gave an interesting account of the service, and how the Bishop showed that Israel's worship pointed to the Christian Church, and the work of Christ. The chapel is lined with glazed brick, and has gothic windows. The slate roof is surmounted by a spire with a bell. The oak furniture, and English Cathedral glass, and Bishop's seat and altar, and the credence-table in memory of Bauduy Simmons, and the paneling of the altar painted by Dr. Alexander C. Stuart, representing saints and Christ, the "King of saints" add to the beauty of this architectural gem. The altar commemorates Bishop Seabury and Bishops White and H. U. Onderdonk, while a brass tablet honors Bishop Lee. The altar-cross keeps up the memory of Bishop Coleman's parents, and the bronze candle-sticks Mrs. Coleman's parents, and the vases Miss Mary J. Bradford. The Standard of the Cross notes these facts.