James Russell Woodford
Encyclopedia
James Russell Woodford was an English churchman, Bishop of Ely
from 1873.
, and Frances, daughter of Robert Appleton of Henley
. He was sent to Merchant Taylors' School
at the age of eight, and was elected to Pembroke College, Cambridge
, as Parkins exhibitioner in 1838. He graduated B.A. in 1842, and M.A. in 1845. He was ordained deacon in 1843 and priest in 1845, and in the intervening years held the second mastership of Bishop's College, Bristol. His first incumbency was the parish of St. Saviour's, Coalpit-heath, Bristol. He then worked as vicar of the parish of St. Mark's, Easton, in the same district, between 1847 and 1855, and in the latter year was presented to the vicarage of Kempsford
, Gloucestershire
.
Woodford was one of the eighteen clergy who in the following year signed the protest against the primate John Bird Sumner
's condemnation of Archdeacon George Anthony Denison
. During the thirteen years he was at Kempsford he attracted attention as a preacher, and was made by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce
one of his examining chaplains, Woodford became honorary canon of Christchurch, and in 1864 was for the first time a select preacher at Cambridge, He also acted as proctor for the clergy of his diocese in the Canterbury convocation, In 1868 Woodford was appointed vicar of Leeds. In 1869 he received a D.D. degree from the primate, and in 1872 was appointed one of the queen's chaplains. In the following year he succeeded Edward Harold Browne
as bishop of Ely, being consecrated in Westminster Abbey
on 14 December 1873.
Soon after his succession to the see Woodford set on foot a general diocesan fund to be applied towards the increase of church accommodation and the assistance of poor parishes and incumbents. He was very active in the work of church restoration, and he reconstructed the cathedral school at Ely. In 1877 he revived, after a disuse of nearly 150 years, the visitation of the cathedral church. Woodford also established a theological college, where twelve students were housed and trained for parochial work,
Woodford died, unmarried, at Ely on 21 October 1885. He was buried in Bishop Wren's chapel on the south side of the cathedral choir on the 30th.
He also contributed to Sermons for the Working Classes, 1858, and to the series of New Testament Commentaries, 1870; and wrote prefaces for William Baker's Manual of Devotion, 1877, William Arthur Brameld's In Type and Shadow, 1880, and The Private Devotions of Bishop Andrewes, 1883. Woodford was co-editor with Hyde Wyndham Beadon of the Parish Hymn Book, 1883, and assisted in the compilation of the Sarum Hymnal in 1868. In 1864 he edited the third series of Tracts for the Christian Seasons, and in 1877 a volume of Samuel Wilberforce's Sermons on various Occasions.
The Great Commission: Twelve Ordination Addresses (1886, 8vo), and Sermons on Subjects from the Old Testament (1887, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1888), appeared posthumously, edited by H. M. Luckock.
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
from 1873.
Life
Born on 30 April 1820 at Henley-on-Thames, he was the only son of James Russell Woodford, a hop-merchant in SouthwarkSouthwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, and Frances, daughter of Robert Appleton of Henley
Henley
- Places :UK:*Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfordshire, England**Henley Rural District, a former rural district in Oxfordshire*Henley-in-Arden, a village in Warwickshire, England*Henley, Suffolk, a village in Suffolk, England...
. He was sent to Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
at the age of eight, and was elected to Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, as Parkins exhibitioner in 1838. He graduated B.A. in 1842, and M.A. in 1845. He was ordained deacon in 1843 and priest in 1845, and in the intervening years held the second mastership of Bishop's College, Bristol. His first incumbency was the parish of St. Saviour's, Coalpit-heath, Bristol. He then worked as vicar of the parish of St. Mark's, Easton, in the same district, between 1847 and 1855, and in the latter year was presented to the vicarage of Kempsford
Kempsford
Kempsford is a small village in Gloucestershire, England. RAF Fairford is located near the village, as is Fairford itself.The first Kempsford Literary Festival takes place between Friday 12th and Saturday 14th March 2010...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Woodford was one of the eighteen clergy who in the following year signed the protest against the primate John Bird Sumner
John Bird Sumner
John Bird Sumner was a bishop in the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury.-Life:Sumner was the elder brother of Bishop Charles Richard Sumner. He was born at Kenilworth, Warwickshire and educated at Eton College and Cambridge University. In 1802 he became a master at Eton and was...
's condemnation of Archdeacon George Anthony Denison
George Anthony Denison
George Anthony Denison was a Church of England priest.-Life:Brother of politician John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington, he was born at Ossington, Nottinghamshire, and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford...
. During the thirteen years he was at Kempsford he attracted attention as a preacher, and was made by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...
one of his examining chaplains, Woodford became honorary canon of Christchurch, and in 1864 was for the first time a select preacher at Cambridge, He also acted as proctor for the clergy of his diocese in the Canterbury convocation, In 1868 Woodford was appointed vicar of Leeds. In 1869 he received a D.D. degree from the primate, and in 1872 was appointed one of the queen's chaplains. In the following year he succeeded Edward Harold Browne
Edward Harold Browne
Edward Harold Browne was a Bishop of the Church of England.The second son of Col. Robert Browne of Morton House, in Buckinghamshire, and of Sarah Dorothea Steward, he was educated at Eton and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. After securing his B.A...
as bishop of Ely, being consecrated in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on 14 December 1873.
Soon after his succession to the see Woodford set on foot a general diocesan fund to be applied towards the increase of church accommodation and the assistance of poor parishes and incumbents. He was very active in the work of church restoration, and he reconstructed the cathedral school at Ely. In 1877 he revived, after a disuse of nearly 150 years, the visitation of the cathedral church. Woodford also established a theological college, where twelve students were housed and trained for parochial work,
Woodford died, unmarried, at Ely on 21 October 1885. He was buried in Bishop Wren's chapel on the south side of the cathedral choir on the 30th.
Works
Woodford published:- The Church, Past and Present, 1852.
- Seventeen Sermons, 1854; 2nd ed. 1860.
- Six Lectures on the Creed, 1855.
- Occasional Sermons, 1st ser 1856, 2nd ed. 1864; 2nd ser. 1861, 2nd ed. 1865.
- Christian Sanctity, four sermons at Cambridge, 1863.
He also contributed to Sermons for the Working Classes, 1858, and to the series of New Testament Commentaries, 1870; and wrote prefaces for William Baker's Manual of Devotion, 1877, William Arthur Brameld's In Type and Shadow, 1880, and The Private Devotions of Bishop Andrewes, 1883. Woodford was co-editor with Hyde Wyndham Beadon of the Parish Hymn Book, 1883, and assisted in the compilation of the Sarum Hymnal in 1868. In 1864 he edited the third series of Tracts for the Christian Seasons, and in 1877 a volume of Samuel Wilberforce's Sermons on various Occasions.
The Great Commission: Twelve Ordination Addresses (1886, 8vo), and Sermons on Subjects from the Old Testament (1887, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1888), appeared posthumously, edited by H. M. Luckock.
External links
- http://www.woodforde.co.uk/page56.htm