Edward King (English bishop)

Edward King (1829 - 8 March, 1910) was an English bishop. King was the second son of the Reverend Walker King, Archdeacon of Rochester and rector of Stone, Kent. King graduated from Oriel College, Oxford, he was ordained in 1854, and four years later became chaplain and lecturer at Cuddesdon Theological College (now Ripon College (Cuddesdon). He was principal at Cuddesdon from 1863 to 1873, when he became Regius Professor of pastoral theology at Oxford and canon of Christ Church. He was the principal founder of the leading catholic theological college in the Church of England, St Stephen's House, Oxford, now a Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford. To the world outside he was only known at this time as one of Dr Pusey's most intimate friends and as a leading member of the English Church Union. But in Oxford, and especially among the younger men, he exercised an exceptional influence, due, not to special profundity of intellect, but to his remarkable charm in personal intercourse, and his abounding sincerity and goodness.

In 1885 Dr King was made bishop of Lincoln. The most eventful episode of his episcopate was his prosecution (1888-1890) for ritualistic practices before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edward White Benson, and, on appeal, before the judicial committee of the Privy Council. Dr King, who loyally conformed his practices to the archbishop's judgment, devoted himself unsparingly to the work of his diocese; and, irrespective of his High Church views, he won the affection and reverence of all classes by his real saintliness of character. The bishop, who never married, died in Lincoln. Despite protestations, he was never canonized by Cosmo Gordon Lang despite a High Mass in white vestments being celebrated in his honour at the High Altar of Lincoln Cathedral.

Edward King is commemorated in the calendar of the Church of England (with the status of a Lesser Festival or ‘black letter day’) on 8 March, the date of his death.

References

*1911

External links

* [http://anglicanhistory.org/england/eking/index.html Project Canterbury: Edward King]