William Woodruff Niles
Encyclopedia
William Woodruff Niles was the third bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
and served as such from 1870 until his death in 1914.
, the son of Daniel Swift Niles and his wife Della (Woodruff) Niles. After studying at the Derby Academy in Derby, Vermont
, he attended Trinity College
from which he received an A.B. in 1857 and an A.M.
in 1860. In 1861 he graduated from Berkeley Divinity School
, which was then located in Middletown, Connecticut
.
in Middletown and a priest on May 14, 1862 at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Wiscasset, Maine. He had been deacon in charge of St. Philip's and became its rector when he was ordained a priest. In 1864 he returned to Trinity College to become professor of Latin. In 1868 he also became part time rector of St. John's Episcopal Church
in Warehouse Point, Connecticut. On September 21, 1870, he was consecrated bishop of New Hampshire at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Concord, New Hampshire
. In the 19th Century, it was not uncommon for an Episcopal bishop to serve at the same time as rector of a parish. Bishop Niles assumed the unpaid rectorship of St. Paul's Church in Concord and continued in both capacities until his death. In 1879, under his leadership, members of the 1875 Episcopal General Convention founded the Holderness School
in New Hampshire
, where a living hall was named in his honor.
. They had six children.
, Berkley Divinity School and Bishop's College
in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. The see city is Concord...
and served as such from 1870 until his death in 1914.
Early life and education
William Woodruff Niles was born in Hatley, Quebec, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the son of Daniel Swift Niles and his wife Della (Woodruff) Niles. After studying at the Derby Academy in Derby, Vermont
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
, he attended Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
from which he received an A.B. in 1857 and an A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1860. In 1861 he graduated from Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School, founded in 1854, is an official seminary of the Episcopal Church, based in New Haven, Connecticut. The seminary was originally founded as a middle-way between the Anglo-Catholic leaning General Theological Seminary in New York, and the Evangelical-leaning Virginia...
, which was then located in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
.
Career
William Woodruff Niles was ordained a deacon on May 22, 1861 at Holy Trinity Episcopal ChurchChurch of the Holy Trinity and Rectory (Middletown, Connecticut)
The Church of the Holy Trinity is an historic Episcopal church in Middletown, Connecticut, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1979, together with its nearby former rectory, also known as the Bishop Acheson House.-National Register listing:*Church of the...
in Middletown and a priest on May 14, 1862 at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Wiscasset, Maine. He had been deacon in charge of St. Philip's and became its rector when he was ordained a priest. In 1864 he returned to Trinity College to become professor of Latin. In 1868 he also became part time rector of St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church (Warehouse Point, Connecticut)
St. John's Episcopal Church is an historic church at 92 Main Street in Warehouse Point section of East Windsor, Connecticut.It was built in 1804 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.-References:...
in Warehouse Point, Connecticut. On September 21, 1870, he was consecrated bishop of New Hampshire at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
. In the 19th Century, it was not uncommon for an Episcopal bishop to serve at the same time as rector of a parish. Bishop Niles assumed the unpaid rectorship of St. Paul's Church in Concord and continued in both capacities until his death. In 1879, under his leadership, members of the 1875 Episcopal General Convention founded the Holderness School
Holderness School
The Holderness School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Holderness, near Plymouth, New Hampshire in the United States. The student body of 275 is drawn from 22 U.S. states and 14 foreign countries. While Holderness operates primarily as a boarding school, it also enrolls 50...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, where a living hall was named in his honor.
Marriage and family
Niles was married to Bertha Olmsted, the half-sister of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, on June 5, 1862 in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. They had six children.
Honors
Bishop Niles received honorary degrees from Trinity, Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Berkley Divinity School and Bishop's College
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
in Sherbrooke, Quebec.