James Fraser (bishop)
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James Fraser (August 18, 1818–October 22, 1885) was a reforming Anglican bishop of Manchester, England.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, Fraser's father was an unsuccessful merchant who left his wife and seven children in penury when he died in 1832. Fraser was brought up by his grandfather in Bilston, Staffordshire then at various schools. He finished his education at Shrewsbury School and then Lincoln College, Oxford where he graduated in 1839. His limited funds and the continual competition for bursaries entailed a scholastic life only relieved by his passion for athletics. He loved horses and hunting but found it difficult to finance the lifestyle.
Elected a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford in 1840, he worked tutoring and in the library before taking deacon's orders in 1846 and giving up his passion for hunting. After some parochial work in Oxford, he was ordained a priest in 1847 before becoming rector of Cholderton, Wiltshire. He continued his educational work as a tutor and as sometime examiner.
In 1858, he served on the Royal Commission on education and in 1860 became rector of Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, soon establishing a reputation as an able church manager. He travelled to the USA and Canada in 1865 on a commission to examine education there and his insightful report enhanced his reputation as a social analyst and leader of church opinion. Though he was offered the post of bishop of Calcutta, he turned it down. In 1867 he was appointed by the Home Secretary to a commission on child labour in agriculture and further enhanced his reputation in policy development.
[edit] Bishop of Manchester
Respect for his knowledge of educational matters led Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone to appoint him bishop of Manchester and he was consecrated on March 25, 1870. The Anglican Diocese of Manchester was still comparatively new and its only former bishop, James Prince Lee, had done little to develop its infrastructure. Fraser set to work to remedy this with a programme of consecrating 99 new churches and establishment of a bureaucratic structure including, of course, a Board of Education.
[edit] Politics and arbitration
Bishop Fraser's opponents said of him that, "Omnipresence was his forte, and omniscience his foible", reflecting his restless activity in preaching the gospel, reform and activity in civil society. He was a common sight on the streets of Manchester, hurrying to address workers of all kinds several times a day. He was governor of many educational institutions including the Manchester Grammar School and Owens College. In 1874 he began a career as an arbitrator, working to resolve conflict in a number of strikes. He was an early enthusiast for and advocate of the cooperative movement.
[edit] Doctrine and litigation
Never overly-interested in theology, Fraser was a liberal in matters of worship who favoured the old high church school, though with little sympathy for what he saw as the excesses of the Oxford Movement. He supported the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 but in 1878 was unhappy to be unable to prevent the imprisonment of the Rev. Sidney Faithorn Green, the incumbent of Miles Platting.
Fraser ultimately secured Green's release but Green's benefice was sequestrated by the courts. The parish patron, Sir Percival Heywood nominated Rev. Harry Cowgill, Green's unlawful curate, as the new incumbent. Fraser was involved in much litigation over his opposition to the appointment before being exonerated in a judgement by Baron Pollock in 1884.
[edit] Later life
In 1880, he married Agnes Ellen Frances Duncan shortly after the death of his mother who had shared his home. He died suddenly at the bishop's palace following complications from a chill. Long known as the bishop of all denominations, his death was honoured by all the nonconformist churches along with the Jewish and Greek Orthodox congregations. Huge crowds attended his funeral in Manchester. He was interred in Ufton Nervet in his mother's grave.
[edit] Honours
- A grade II listed statue by Thomas Woolner stands in Albert Square, Manchester.
[edit] Bibliography
- Hughes, T. (1887) James Fraser, Second Bishop of Manchester: A Memoir, 1818–1885
- Diggle, J.W. (1887) The Lancashire Life of Bishop Fraser
- Bentley, J. (1987) Ritualism and Politics in Victorian Britain: The Attempt to Legislate for Belief
- Bullock, C. (1889) The Lives of Three Bishops
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| Preceded by James Prince Lee |
Bishop of Manchester 1870–1885 |
Succeeded by James Moorhouse |
