Henry Reginald Courtenay
Encyclopedia
Henry Reginald Courtenay (1741–1803) was an English bishop of Bristol
and bishop of Exeter
.
. He was born in the parish of St. James, Piccadilly, 27 December 1741, and admitted at Westminster School
in 1755. He went on in 1759 to Christ Church, Oxford
, where he took the degrees of B.A. 1763, M.A. 1766, and D.C.L. 1774.
Having taken orders in the English church, he had rapid preferment. The rectory of Lee, Kent and the second prebendal stall in Rochester Cathedral
were conferred upon him in 1773. In the following year he was appointed to the rectory of St. George, Hanover Square, and he vacated his stall at Rochester; but he was one of the prebendaries of Exeter from 1772 to 1794, and he retained the fourth prebend at Rochester from 1783 to 1797. Early in 1794 he was nominated to the bishopric of Bristol, his consecration taking place on 11 May; and after three years was translated to the see of Exeter (March 1797), holding the archdeaconry of Exeter in commendam
from that year until his death, and retaining as long as he lived his London rectory. He died in Lower Grosvenor Street, London, 9 June 1803, and was buried in the cemetery of Grosvenor Chapel
.
, whom he married in January 1774, lived till 31 October 1815. They had two sons and four daughters. The elder son, William, who worked as clerk-assistant of the parliament, became in 1835 the 10th Earl of Devon; the younger son was Thomas Peregrine Courtenay.
Bishop of Bristol
The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
and bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
.
Life
He was the eldest surviving son of Henry Reginald Courtenay, M.P., who married Catherine, daughter of Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl BathurstAllen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst
Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst PC , known as the Lord Bathurst from 1712 to 1772, was a British politician....
. He was born in the parish of St. James, Piccadilly, 27 December 1741, and admitted at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
in 1755. He went on in 1759 to Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, where he took the degrees of B.A. 1763, M.A. 1766, and D.C.L. 1774.
Having taken orders in the English church, he had rapid preferment. The rectory of Lee, Kent and the second prebendal stall in Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
were conferred upon him in 1773. In the following year he was appointed to the rectory of St. George, Hanover Square, and he vacated his stall at Rochester; but he was one of the prebendaries of Exeter from 1772 to 1794, and he retained the fourth prebend at Rochester from 1783 to 1797. Early in 1794 he was nominated to the bishopric of Bristol, his consecration taking place on 11 May; and after three years was translated to the see of Exeter (March 1797), holding the archdeaconry of Exeter in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
from that year until his death, and retaining as long as he lived his London rectory. He died in Lower Grosvenor Street, London, 9 June 1803, and was buried in the cemetery of Grosvenor Chapel
Grosvenor Chapel
Grosvenor Chapel, is an Anglican church in what is now the City of Westminster, England, built in 1730s it inspired many churches in New England...
.
Family
His wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of EffinghamThomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham
Lieutenant-General Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham , styled Lord Howard from 1731 to 1743, was a British nobleman and Army officer, the son of Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham....
, whom he married in January 1774, lived till 31 October 1815. They had two sons and four daughters. The elder son, William, who worked as clerk-assistant of the parliament, became in 1835 the 10th Earl of Devon; the younger son was Thomas Peregrine Courtenay.