James Butler Knill Kelly
Encyclopedia
James Butler Knill Kelly (18 February 1832 – 15 May 1907) was a Bishop
of the Church of England
active in the British colony of Newfoundland and in Scotland
. Kelly was a participant in the first Lambeth Conference
, which was a crucial step in the creation of the Anglican Communion
. He was also Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
from 1901 to 1904.
Kelly received his Bachelor of Arts
and Master of Arts
from the University of Cambridge
, studying at Clare Hall
(later renamed Clare College shortly after Kelly's graduation). However, Clare was in a period of academic decline during Kelly's time there.
In 1855, at the age of 23, Kelly was made deacon
of the Anglican Church. A year later, in 1856, he was ordained priest
. Kelly became curate
of Abington
, Northamptonshire
, but left England for the Isle of Man
, to serve as a domestic chaplain
for Bishop of Sodor and Man
, Horatio Powys
. In 1860, upon the death of Joseph Brown, Kelly became registrar and vicar
of the Kirkmichael parish on the Isle of Man, while continuing as chaplain to Powys. Kelly was the second vicar,after Brown, in the new (1858) parish church, St. Nicholas-Bishop's Court.
, its second bishop, Edward Feild
, appealed in 1864 for additional clergy to minister in the diocese, thus offering Kelly an opportunity in North America
which he quickly seized, leaving the Isle of Man two years before it achieved Home Rule
. In June, Kelly found himself appointed incumbent of the cathedral
in St. John's, Newfoundland, and archdeacon
.
1867 was a momentous year for Kelly. His ministry had proven a success, and Feild named Kelly his assistant bishop
. Charles Thomas Longley
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
, performed the ceremony
of consecration
on August 16. Kelly, thirty-five years old, received his Doctor of Divinity
degree from Cambridge University
, and attended the first Pan-Anglican conference of British, colonial and foreign bishops
conference in Lambeth
. The conference had been lobbied for by, among others, the Canadian synod, but much of the agenda focused on the controversy over John William Colenso
, a missionary
to the Zulu. Eleven advisory resolutions regarding colonial district administration were nevertheless passed.
The Anglican diocese of Newfoundland also included the island of Bermuda
. Kelly and Feild travelled aboard the diocesan ship The Star, and both nearly died in 1871 in a sailing accident that destroyed the ship. This was not the last occasion in which sea travel proved a hardship to Kelly; he became seriously ill in 1874 when travelling to coastal communities on Newfoundland and Labrador
. Kelly's logs of his travels on The Star have been published as Journal of a visitation by the Right Reverend J. B. K. Kelly, DD, coadjutor bishop of Newfoundland, in the church ship Star, July–October, 1869, (London
, 1870), and The voyage the churchship Star, 1870 (St.John's, 1973).
Kelly's trips did not distract him from projects at home. On 9 October 1871, he married Louisa Bliss, daughter of William Blowers Bliss
, a prominent judge
from Nova Scotia
. Kelly took on leadership of the completion of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
(not to be confused with the Basilica of St. John The Baptist
). The Cathedral's nave
, finished in 1850, had been serving as the entire church. The cathedral was finished in 1885, but burned down in the Great Fire of 1892
. Kelly organized its reconstruction. The Cathedral bears a memorial window dedicated to his memory.
Kelly became diocesan bishop
in 1876, after Feild's death. His understandable aversion to sea travel, however, led him to resign the position in 1877 after a fruitless search for a coadjutor who could relieve him of its necessity.
of Inverness Cathedral
and Assistant Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness in 1885, and became diocesan bishop in 1886, succeeding Robert Eden. In 1901, he was unanimously elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
, and served in that capacity for three years until his retirement. He died in Inverness
in 1907.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
active in the British colony of Newfoundland and 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...
. Kelly was a participant in the first Lambeth Conference
Lambeth Conferences
The Lambeth Conferences are decennial assemblies of bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first such conference took place in 1867....
, which was a crucial step in the creation of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
. He was also Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
The Primus, styled The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The current Primus is the Most Revd David Chillingworth who became Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church on 13 June 2009...
from 1901 to 1904.
Early life and education
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, studying at Clare Hall
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
(later renamed Clare College shortly after Kelly's graduation). However, Clare was in a period of academic decline during Kelly's time there.
In 1855, at the age of 23, Kelly was made deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the Anglican Church. A year later, in 1856, he was ordained priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Kelly became curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Abington
Abington, Northamptonshire
Abington is a district of the town of Northampton to the east of the town centre.Originally a small village outside the borough boundary of Northampton, Abington is mentioned in The Domesday Book. In the 17th century the village was enclosed and depopulated...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, but left England for the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, to serve as a domestic chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
for Bishop of Sodor and Man
Bishop of Sodor and Man
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
, Horatio Powys
Horatio Powys
Horatio Powys was a priest in the Church of England and Bishop of Sodor and Man.Powys, born on 20 November 1805, was third son of Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford , by Henrietta Maria, eldest daughter of Robert Vernon Atherton of Atherton Hall, Lancashire. He was educated at Harrow and at St....
. In 1860, upon the death of Joseph Brown, Kelly became registrar and vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of the Kirkmichael parish on the Isle of Man, while continuing as chaplain to Powys. Kelly was the second vicar,after Brown, in the new (1858) parish church, St. Nicholas-Bishop's Court.
Life in Newfoundland
In 1839 the Anglican Church had founded the See of NewfoundlandAnglican Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador
The Anglican Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador is one of seven dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Canada.-History:From 1839-1925 the Diocese included Bermuda as well as Newfoundland....
, its second bishop, Edward Feild
Edward Feild
Bishop Edward Feild was a university tutor, university examiner, Anglican clergyman, inspector of schools and second Bishop of Newfoundland, born Worcester, England...
, appealed in 1864 for additional clergy to minister in the diocese, thus offering Kelly an opportunity in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
which he quickly seized, leaving the Isle of Man two years before it achieved Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
. In June, Kelly found himself appointed incumbent of the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in St. John's, Newfoundland, and archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
.
1867 was a momentous year for Kelly. His ministry had proven a success, and Feild named Kelly his assistant bishop
Assistant Bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.-Church of England:In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually are retired bishops – in which case they are honorary assistant bishops...
. Charles Thomas Longley
Charles Thomas Longley
Charles Thomas Longley was a bishop in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Ripon, Bishop of Durham, Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1862 until his death.-Life:...
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop 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...
, performed the ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
of consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on August 16. Kelly, thirty-five years old, received his Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and attended the first Pan-Anglican conference of British, colonial and foreign bishops
Lambeth Conferences
The Lambeth Conferences are decennial assemblies of bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first such conference took place in 1867....
conference in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
. The conference had been lobbied for by, among others, the Canadian synod, but much of the agenda focused on the controversy over John William Colenso
John William Colenso
John William Colenso , first Anglican bishop of Natal, mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar and social activist.-Biography:Colenso was born at St Austell, Cornwall, on 24 January 1814...
, a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the Zulu. Eleven advisory resolutions regarding colonial district administration were nevertheless passed.
The Anglican diocese of Newfoundland also included the island of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Kelly and Feild travelled aboard the diocesan ship The Star, and both nearly died in 1871 in a sailing accident that destroyed the ship. This was not the last occasion in which sea travel proved a hardship to Kelly; he became seriously ill in 1874 when travelling to coastal communities on Newfoundland and Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
. Kelly's logs of his travels on The Star have been published as Journal of a visitation by the Right Reverend J. B. K. Kelly, DD, coadjutor bishop of Newfoundland, in the church ship Star, July–October, 1869, (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1870), and The voyage the churchship Star, 1870 (St.John's, 1973).
William Blowers Bliss
William Blowers Bliss was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Hants County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1830 to 1834....
, a prominent judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Kelly took on leadership of the completion of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (St. John's)
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is located in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland. This parish in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador was founded in 1699 in response to a petition drafted by the Anglican townsfolk of St. John's and sent to the Bishop of London, the Rt. Rev....
(not to be confused with the Basilica of St. John The Baptist
Basilica of St. John the Baptist
The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland....
). The Cathedral's nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, finished in 1850, had been serving as the entire church. The cathedral was finished in 1885, but burned down in the Great Fire of 1892
Great Fire of 1892
The Great Fire in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on July 8, 1892, is remembered as the worst disaster ever to befall that city. Previous "Great Fire"s had occurred in St...
. Kelly organized its reconstruction. The Cathedral bears a memorial window dedicated to his memory.
Kelly became diocesan bishop
Diocesan bishop
A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....
in 1876, after Feild's death. His understandable aversion to sea travel, however, led him to resign the position in 1877 after a fruitless search for a coadjutor who could relieve him of its necessity.
Return to the United Kingdom
Kelly returned to his country of birth, where, after a series of positions, he became ProvostProvost (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...
of 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...
and Assistant Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness in 1885, and became diocesan bishop in 1886, succeeding Robert Eden. In 1901, he was unanimously elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
The Primus, styled The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The current Primus is the Most Revd David Chillingworth who became Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church on 13 June 2009...
, and served in that capacity for three years until his retirement. He died in Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
in 1907.