Alan Becher Webb
Encyclopedia
Allan Becher Webb was the second Bishop of Bloemfontein
, afterward Bishop of Grahamstown and, later, Dean of Salisbury
.
and subsequently at Corpus Christi College
, Oxford, becoming a Fellow and Tutor at University College
. From 1864 to 1867 he was vice principal at Cuddesdon
. He married the sister of George Hugh Bourne
, the hymn-writer, who served as his chaplain (1879–1898).
Webb's first posting was as Rector of Avon Dassett
.
in the interior of South Africa. He was consecrated at Inverness Cathedral
in Scotland
and sailed for the Cape on 25 April 1871, arriving in Cape Town
on 28 July.
One of Webb's first tasks was to oversee the planting of the Anglican Church on the Diamond Fields in the west of the Diocese of Bloemfontein. From this foundation would eventually spring (in 1911) the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman. Other major works included the establishment of the Community of St Michael and All Angels, a nursing order based in Bloemfontein
and Kimberley
, where Sister Henrietta Stockdale
pioneered aspects of nursing and provided for the first state registration of nurses in the world. Under Webb the Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo
grew in strength at Modderpoort
in the eastern Free State.
(Benson) and of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town
(West Jones), Webb accepted his unanimous election as the Bishop of Grahamstown. There the cathedral congregation had been split by controversy between St George's and a pro-cathedral of St Michael. Webb's arrival is referred to as the "era of pacification" and by the end of 1885 he had succeeded in reuniting the divided factions. The building of the St. Michael and St. George Cathedral
commenced in the 1890s, the chancel being consecrated in 1893.
Webb resigned from Grahamstown
in 1898, going first as provost
at Inverness Cathedral
.
of Salisbury
, where he died in 1907. A set of three stained glass windows in Salisbury Cathedral
were dedicated to his memory.
); and the Community of the Resurrection and St Peter's Home in Grahamstown (under the leadership of Mother Cecile).
Anglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
, afterward Bishop of Grahamstown and, later, Dean of Salisbury
Dean of Salisbury
The Dean of Salisbury is the Head of the Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in the Church of England. The current Dean is The Very Revd June Osborne, who was installed in 2004.-Selected office-holders:*Walter 1102*Osbert 1105*Robert 1111*Serlo 1122...
.
Early years
Webb was born in 1839 in Calcutta. He was educated at RugbyRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and subsequently at Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, Oxford, becoming a Fellow and Tutor at University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
. From 1864 to 1867 he was vice principal at Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England.-History:Ripon College Cuddesdon was formed from an amalgamation in 1975 of Cuddesdon College and Ripon Hall...
. He married the sister of George Hugh Bourne
George Hugh Bourne
George Hugh Bourne was a hymnodist, schoolmaster and warden, chaplain to the Bishop of Bloemfontein, and ultimately on the staff of Salisbury Cathedral as Sub-dean and Prebendary. He was born on 8 November 1840 at St Paul’s Cray, Kent, England, and died on 2 December 1925 at St. Edmund's College,...
, the hymn-writer, who served as his chaplain (1879–1898).
Webb's first posting was as Rector of Avon Dassett
Avon Dassett
Avon Dassett is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England, nestling among the Burton Dassett Hills about four miles east of Kineton and seven miles north of Banbury in Oxfordshire...
.
Bishop of Bloemfontein
On St Andrew's Day (30 November) 1870 Webb responded to an appeal from Bishop Robert Gray of Cape Town to accept the Bishopric of BloemfonteinAnglican Diocese of the Free State
The Anglican Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.-History:The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town. In 1863, Edward Twells was consecrated the...
in the interior of South Africa. He was consecrated at Inverness Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church situated in the city of Inverness in Scotland...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and sailed for the Cape on 25 April 1871, arriving in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 28 July.
One of Webb's first tasks was to oversee the planting of the Anglican Church on the Diamond Fields in the west of the Diocese of Bloemfontein. From this foundation would eventually spring (in 1911) the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman. Other major works included the establishment of the Community of St Michael and All Angels, a nursing order based in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
and Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, where Sister Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale was a nursing pioneer. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about when the Cape of Good Hope Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891 passed into law...
pioneered aspects of nursing and provided for the first state registration of nurses in the world. Under Webb the Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo
Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo
The Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo was an Anglican Brotherhood founded in the Free State, South Africa, in 1867, and based at Modderpoort from 1869, in the Diocese of Bloemfontein....
grew in strength at Modderpoort
Modderpoort
Modderpoort, also known as Lekhalong la Bo Tau or ‘The Pass of the Lions’, is the site in the eastern Free State, South Africa, where the Anglican Missionary Brotherhood, the Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo, was established by Bishop Edward Twells in the late 1860s...
in the eastern Free State.
Bishop of Grahamstown
In 1883, on the advice of the Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
(Benson) and of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Town
Anglican Diocese of Cape Town
The Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa, came into being in 1847 with the consecration of the first bishop, Robert Gray, and later expanded to become the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, now called the Anglican Church of Southern Africa....
(West Jones), Webb accepted his unanimous election as the Bishop of Grahamstown. There the cathedral congregation had been split by controversy between St George's and a pro-cathedral of St Michael. Webb's arrival is referred to as the "era of pacification" and by the end of 1885 he had succeeded in reuniting the divided factions. The building of the St. Michael and St. George Cathedral
St. Michael and St. George Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George is the home of the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown in Grahamstown, South Africa in the Eastern Cape Province. It is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Grahamstown. The cathedral is located on Church Square. It has the tallest spire in South Africa...
commenced in the 1890s, the chancel being consecrated in 1893.
Webb resigned from Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
in 1898, going first as provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
at Inverness Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral , also known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church situated in the city of Inverness in Scotland...
.
Dean of Salisbury
Webb latterly became DeanDean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, where he died in 1907. A set of three stained glass windows in Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
were dedicated to his memory.
Role in creation of sisterhoods
Webb was one of the first Anglican bishops to support and nurture corporate women's work in the church through the formation of sisterhoods: The Community of St Michael and All Angels in Bloemfontein and Kimberley (a foremost member being Sister HenriettaHenrietta Stockdale
Henrietta Stockdale was a nursing pioneer. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about when the Cape of Good Hope Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891 passed into law...
); and the Community of the Resurrection and St Peter's Home in Grahamstown (under the leadership of Mother Cecile).
External links
- Bibliographical directory from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...