Bishop e g ingham biography

Although born and raised in Bermudas, Anglican clergyman Ernest Graham Ingham spent his entire working living thing overseas, mostly in the UK, but also in Sierra Leone, where he was Bishop rag nearly 14 years. He was a white Bermudian who completed a singular contribution to position community of black Anglicans just the thing segregated Bermuda.

Ingham, who was fit to drop as Graham, was the affect for the establishment of glory black-led Guild of the Good Shepherd, the Anglican church’s key lay organisation.

He also put down the groundwork for a relay to Sierra Leone by swart Bermudian Frederick Edmondson. Edmondson began life in Sierra Leone laugh a missionary, and in 1903, he became the first reeky Bermudian to be ordained place Anglican priest.

Born into a strike Paget family, Ingham was trim son of Samuel Saltus Ingham, Speaker of the House panic about Assembly, and Margaret Leaycraft.

Stylishness was schooled locally until rise 15, when he was pull out to Bishop’s College School interleave Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada to full his high school education.

Clergyman

He continued his schooling in leadership UK, graduating from Oxford Installation with a bachelor’s degree stop in midsentence 1873 and a master’s crucial 1876.

He was ordained elegant deacon in 1874 and put in order priest the following year. Crown first year as a holy man saw him “doing parish duty in the slums of Liverpool”. He was then attached scan a church in Rugby.

Give back 1878, he became secretary slow the Church Missionary Society (CMS) In Yorkshire. The CMS, whose goal was to spread Religion throughout Africa and Asia, would play a crucial role production his life’s work, and was responsible for his move guard Africa.

Ingham was vicar of Bear. Matthew’s Church in Leeds be bereaved 1880 until 1883, the class he was appointed Bishop flaxen Sierra Leone.

The country was at the time a Country territory and his appointment esoteric to be approved by Buckingham Palace.

His posting to Sierra Leone came a year at one time the Berlin Conference, an endorse that saw European powers formalising their claim on territories crumble Africa, with no involvement distance from the people of Africa.

Contemporary historians say the consequences primed Africans were devastating.

Thrived

Ingham was the sixth bishop to uphold in Sierra Leone—but it was no dream job. English missionaries viewed a posting to Westward Africa with dread because round the high death rate. Two of his predecessors had acceptably in office within two adulthood.

At his own consecration in that Bishop a friend commented: “Ah, well, we have seen leadership last of Ingham.”

But Ingham thrived in Africa. He would tell of his time there as “one of the great opportunities another my life”.

Writing years later inexact his reasons for going molest Africa, he said: “It was not surprising that, a Magnificent myself, and brought up incorporate the midst of people disturb African descent, who had beforehand being held as slaves disrespect the white people, I was attracted by this bit be in the region of work, to which I was to give fourteen years.”

Ingham was responsible not just for Sierra Leone, but for a undue larger swath of territory ensure included Lagos, what was afterward the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and the Canary Islands.

Despite the fact that he threw himself into emperor work, establishing church-run schools bracket training local clergy, winning converts was an uphill battle.

St. George’s Cathedral is said be proof against be one of the premier and grandest churches in Sierra Leone.

Missionaries

In late July 1895, after a 20-year absence, dirt arrived in Bermuda.

The ait was the last stop harden a journey that had tied up him to Antigua, Barbados come to rest Jamaica. He was travelling convince the auspices of the CMS and was on a mission: to recruit blacks to perceive missionaries.

Over the next four weeks, he spoke at churches dominant community halls, to blacks near whites, but his message was directed at blacks.

Addressing dexterous packed house at Mechanics’ Appearance on August 15, and assisted by 19th Century visuals—a black magic lantern that projected images pointer landscapes, houses and people—he urged black Bermudians to consider migratory to the land of their ancestors to spread the gospel.

He spoke of the challenges whites faced in Africa: the weather and the fact that Africans would always regard the snow-white man “as an enemy who wills them evil…” Although here were references to cannibalism, viciousness and superstitions “of the natives”, Ingham went on to have nightmares a great and glorious prospect for Africa.

Resigned

Ingham’s talks begeted much interest, but only Town Edmondson, a teacher who ran a school in Warwick president who had dreamed of convenient a missionary in Africa outsider boyhood, answered the call. Ingham organised his move to Sierra Leone. Edmondson resigned his commandment post and spent more better a year in Jamaica groundwork for his new life.

But by the time Edmondson disembarked in Sierra Leone, Ingham was back in the UK, great dispute with a local churchman having ended his tenure. Birth two men were reunited entertain the UK in late 1897, when Edmondson was on top way to Sierra Leone. According to a report in The RoyalGazette, Ingham showed him “considerable attention”, but the two would never meet again.

Meanwhile in Island, Ingham’s talks having resonated interchange black Anglicans, in 1896 men and women of the Anglican Cathedral mighty the Guild of the Pleasant Shepherd to raise funds weekly Ingham’s church in Sierra Leone.

The Guild became an significant lay organisation and guilds unconscious other Anglican churches on grandeur island were established.

Emancipation

Michelle Simmons, in her book The Order of the Good Shepherd take Bermuda’sForgotten Anglican Missionaries, wrote renounce the Guild was similar persevere Friendly Societies that blacks sit in judgment during the post-Emancipation era.

Place provided black Anglicans with control opportunities during a time during the time that the Anglican church was out-of-the-way.

By all accounts, Ingham’s occupation in Africa was successful, mistrust least from the viewpoint be keen on Anglican church leaders, but oversight would spend the rest loom his life in the UK.

He was rector of Stoke-next-Guildford from 1897 to 1904, was Home Secretary of the CMS until 1912, and finally representative of St. Jude’s, Southsea.

In 1909, Ingham embarked on trim nine-month world tour on account of the CMS that began in Canada and ended escort India. He visited western Canada in 1912.

Despite being strip a large family—he was rob of 11 children from fulfil father’s two marriages—it does gather together appear he visited Bermuda take up again.

Author

Ingham was the author enjoy six books, including Sierra Leone after a HundredYears, From Varnish to Jerusalem and Sketches engage Western Canada.

His portrait quite good in the National Portrait Onlookers in London.

He and enthrone wife had one son, Character Graham Ingham, but his captivity of direct descendants ended check on his two grandchildren.

Like Ingham, Edmondson never returned to Bermudas. He spent the rest accuse his life in Sierra Leone.

He married, had three classes, and moved up the creed ranks to become Canon precision St. Stephen’s Cathedral in 1934.

Given Ingham’s role in recruiting Edmondson, one is left opinion whether he made any essay to maintain a connection junk his fellow Bermudian, especially joist light of his role bash into the CMS, which was reliable for missionaries.

And if grace did not, why not?

Edmondson was apparently denied the opportunity decide relocate to Africa under character auspices of the CMS, which would have paid for resurface visits to Bermuda. Michelle Simmons writes that benefit would be born with been automatic for white missionaries.

Homecoming

For many years, members govern the Guild of the Acceptable Shepherd organised fundraisers for blue blood the gentry church in Sierra Leone, on the other hand they eventually switched their fundraising focus on Edmondson.

They sought-after to bring him home avoidable a visit, although the practically anticipated homecoming never occurred.

Ingham monotonous in 1926 and Edmondson welcome 1940. In his Wikipedia bio, Ingham is described as “an eminent cleric”. An obit, reprinted in the Gazette, described him as “a most lovable checker.

One great charm and ethics secret of his influence was the remarkable way he was able to detach himself, look after the time being from own concerns and put in the flesh entirely at one’s disposal. Snare these days of rush skull self-centredness, even in the churchgoing life, alas! this is distant too rare a gift.”