Edward Bickersteth (bishop of South Tokyo)

Edward Bickersteth (27 June 1850, Banningham, Norfolk – 5 August 1897) was an Anglican bishop, the Bishop of South Tokyo from 1886 until his premature death.[1]

Edward Bickersteth was born into a noted ecclesiastical family: his father was the Bishop of Exeter from 1885 to 1900.[2] He was educated at Highgate School[3] and Pembroke College, Cambridge before studying for ordaination.[4] In 1873 he took up his first post was a curacy at Holy Trinity, South Hampstead.[5] He was then Lecturer in Theology at his old college[6] and in 1877 founded the Cambridge Mission at Delhi.[5] After 7 years he returned to England to become Rector of Framlingham but his energetic nature craved a more demanding appointment and in 1886 he went abroad again, this time to Japan where his "watchful care and strong influence"[1] led to a punishing schedule. He was on the road traveling between the scattered mission churches 8 months of the year.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ a b The Times, Wednesday, January 26, 1898; pg. 7; Issue 35423; col E Church Missions in Japan
  2. ^ Biography of father
  3. ^ The Times, Saturday, June 12, 1869; pg. 10; Issue 26462; col C Named in list of scholarships to Cambridge
  4. ^ Bickersteth in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
  5. ^ a b Details of early career
  6. ^ “Who was Who” 1897–2007 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 9780199540877
  7. ^ S. Bickersteth, Life and letters of Edward Bickersteth, Bishop of South Tokyo, Sampson, Low Marston, 1899; see also further details in The National Archives
Bishops of South Tokyo