James Edward Cowell Welldon

James Edward Cowell Welldon (born 1854; died 1937) was an English divine, bishop of Calcutta, and scholar.

Early life

He was born in 1854 in Tonbridge, Kent, the son of Reverend Edward Welldon, the Second Master of Tonbridge School. He was educated at Eton and was named the Newcastle Scholar in 1873. He went on to King's College, Cambridge and whilst there was academically prominent becoming the "Bell Scholar" in 1874 being the "Browne's Medallist" in 1875 and 1876. In 1877, as well as gaining his BA degree, he was the Senior Classical and Senior Chancellor's Medallist. He became a Fellow in 1878 and in 1880 gained his MA degree.Ormiston, T. L., (1926), "Dulwich College Register",page 53, (J J Keliher & Co Ltd: London)]

Career

In May 1883 he was appointed the Master of Dulwich College. In the short time he held this position he did much for Dulwich College, including the creation and institution of the school song "Pueri Alleynienses" which is still the song of the school today. He retired in July 1885 to take up the position of Headmaster of Harrow School, a position he held from 1885 to 1898.

Whilst at Harrow he also accepted a number of clerical positions, having been ordained as a deacon in 1883 and as a pastor in 1885, including the Select Preacher before Cambridge University (in 1885, 1888, and 1893) and the Select Preacher before Oxford University in 1886 and 1887. He was Honorary Chaplain to Queen Victoria from 1888 to 1892, and Chaplain in Ordinary from 1892 to 1898. He was the Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge in 1897. In 1898 he became a Doctor of Divinity.

After leaving Harrow School he became the Bishop of Calcutta in 1898. As Bishop Welldon, then metropolitan of Calcutta, he excluded Scottish chaplains and troops from the use of garrison churches in India because these had received episcopal consecration, for which he was criticized by Robert Herbert Story. He held this position until 1902 when he resigned due to ill health and disagreement with the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. He returned to England to become a Canon of Westminster until 1906. From 1906 to 1918 he was Dean of Manchester and from 1918 of Durham. He became an Officer d'académie in 1898.

He was a member of the Athenaeum Club.

Publications

During his life he was the author of a number of works including:
*"Translation of Aristotle's Politics" (1883) Richard Aldrich and Peter Gordon, (1989), "Dictionary of British Educationists", page 258, (Routledge: London)]
*"Translator of Rhetoric" (1886)
*"Translator of Ethics" (1892)
*"The Hope of Immortality" (1898)
*"The English Church" (1926)
*"Recollections and Reflections" (1915)
*"Forty Years On" (1935)
*"Gerald Eversley's Friendship"
*"Sermons"
*"Pueri Alleynienses"

References

*1911
*Nuttall

s-ttl|title=Master of Dulwich College
years=1883–1885s-ttl|title=Headmaster of Harrow School
years=1885–1898s-ttl|title=Honorary Chaplain to the Monarch of the United Kingdom
years=1888–1892s-ttl|title=Chaplain in Ordinary to the Monarch of the United Kingdom
years=1892–1898s-ttl|title=Bishop of Calcutta
years=1898-1902s-ttl|title=Dean of Manchester Cathedral
years=1906-1918s-ttl|title=Dean of Durham Cathedral
years=1918-1933