William Crane Gray
Encyclopedia
William Crane Gray was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church's Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida, which had been split off from the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
in October 1892.
, on September 6, 1835, the son of Joseph Gray and Hannah Price Gray. When he was ten he and his parents moved to Tennessee
. In 1859 he graduated from Kenyon College
in Gambier, Ohio
and he then went to seminary at Bexley Hall
, which was then located in Gambier.
. After the war, he served parishes in Bolivar
and Nashville
. He had been rector of the Church of the Advent in Nashville for 20 years when he was elected bishop. His consecration was held there.
born January 6, 1879, later became Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
.
, where he died in 1919.
. In 1969, the Diocese of South Florida was split into three dioceses as follows: the Diocese of Central Florida
, the Diocese of Southeast Florida
and the Diocese of Southwest Florida
.
grandson of Campbell Gray
Episcopal Diocese of Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . It originally comprised the whole state of Florida, but is now bounded on the west by the Apalachicola River, on the north by the Georgia state line, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the...
in October 1892.
Childhood and education
William Crane Gray was born in Lambertville, New JerseyLambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...
, on September 6, 1835, the son of Joseph Gray and Hannah Price Gray. When he was ten he and his parents moved to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. In 1859 he graduated from Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
in Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
and he then went to seminary at Bexley Hall
Bexley Hall
Bexley Hall is a seminary in Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.It is one of 11 official seminaries of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America,and identifies itself as liberal Anglo-Catholic in orientation.-History:...
, which was then located in Gambier.
Ministry
William Crane Gray was ordained to the diaconate in 1859 and to the priesthood in 1860. He served as chaplain of a Tennessee regiment during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. After the war, he served parishes in Bolivar
Bolivar, Tennessee
Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat of Hardeman County. The town was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. Bolivar...
and Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He had been rector of the Church of the Advent in Nashville for 20 years when he was elected bishop. His consecration was held there.
Family
William Crane Gray's first wife was Margaret Locke Trent, whom he married on May 20, 1863. His second wife was Fannie Campbell Bowers, whom he married August 2, 1877. Their son, Campbell GrayCampbell Gray
Campbell Gray, , the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, was born January 6, 1879, in Bolivar, Tennessee, the son of Episcopal priest and later bishop William Crane Gray and his second wife, Fannie Campbell Gray...
born January 6, 1879, later became Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana
The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, originally called the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan City, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the northern one-third of Indiana. It is in Province 5 and its cathedral, the Cathedral of St...
.
Later life
William Crane Gray retired as Missionary Bishop of Southern Florida in 1913 and went to live with his son in NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where he died in 1919.
Note on the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida
The Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida in 1922 became the Diocese of South FloridaEpiscopal Diocese of South Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of South Florida was a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, which was created in 1922 out of what had been the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida, sometimes called the Missionary District of Southern Florida. which had been split off in...
. In 1969, the Diocese of South Florida was split into three dioceses as follows: the Diocese of Central Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida is a diocese in Florida in Province IV of the Episcopal Church. It is bounded on the north by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the dioceses of Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida and on the west by the...
, the Diocese of Southeast Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which extends from Key West on the south, to Jensen Beach on the north and inland to Clewiston on the west. Major cities in the diocese are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach...
and the Diocese of Southwest Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in Florida which extends from Marco Island on the south, to Brooksville on the north, and inland to Plant City, Arcadia and LaBelle on the east...
.
Sources
- Cushman, Joseph D., Jr., A Goodly Heritage: The Episcopal Church in Florida, 1821-1892, Gainesville: University of Florida Press (1965) pp. 199–200.
- Who's Who in America, 1903, Chicago: A.N. Marquis Company, p. 592.
See also
- All Saints Episcopal Church (Jensen Beach, Florida) Tells of the Bishop's missionary efforts.
- Campbell GrayCampbell GrayCampbell Gray, , the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, was born January 6, 1879, in Bolivar, Tennessee, the son of Episcopal priest and later bishop William Crane Gray and his second wife, Fannie Campbell Gray...
, II Bishop of Northern Indiana, son of William Crane Gray - Francis Campbell Gray VI Bishop of Northern Indiana and Assistant Bishop of Virginia,
grandson of Campbell Gray
- Succession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United StatesSuccession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United StatesThis list consists of the bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an independent province of the Anglican Communion. This shows the historic succession of the episcopate within this denomination.-Key to chart:...
External links
- Church of the Advent Nashville
- Delray Beach Timeline tells of two parishes being opened by Bishop Gray in 1904 & 1911
- Bishop Consecrates St. John's Eau Gallie (Melbourne)
- Jacksonville Historical Society Article on Liberty Ships - shows picture of christening of Liberty Ship William Crane Gray
- Ordinations by Bishop Gray at St. James in Tampa