William Turnbull Leach
Encyclopedia
William Turnbull Leach was a Canadian
clergyman and academic.
Born in Berwick-upon-Tweed
, England
, the son of Robert Leach and Elizabeth Turnbull, Leach was educated in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling
, and received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh
. He was licensed a minister of the Church of Scotland
and emigrated to Upper Canada
in the 1830s. Rejecting the Church of Scotland, he was ordained in the Church of England
in 1843 and was the first incumbent of Montreal's St George’s Church. In 1854, he was appointed a canon of Christ Church Cathedral. In 1865 he was named domestic chaplain to the bishop and an archdeacon
.
From 1846 to 1853, he started teaching at McGill College (later McGill University) as a professor of classical literature and lecturer in mathematics and natural philosophy. From 1853 to 1872, he was a lecturer in logic, rhetoric, and moral philosophy. From 1872 to 1883, he was the Molson professor of English language and literature. From 1846 to 1886, he was a fellow and vice-principal. from 1853 to 1886, he was the dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
clergyman and academic.
Born in Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Robert Leach and Elizabeth Turnbull, Leach was educated in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, and received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He was licensed a minister of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and emigrated to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in the 1830s. Rejecting the Church of Scotland, he was ordained in 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...
in 1843 and was the first incumbent of Montreal's St George’s Church. In 1854, he was appointed a canon of Christ Church Cathedral. In 1865 he was named domestic chaplain to the bishop and an 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...
.
From 1846 to 1853, he started teaching at McGill College (later McGill University) as a professor of classical literature and lecturer in mathematics and natural philosophy. From 1853 to 1872, he was a lecturer in logic, rhetoric, and moral philosophy. From 1872 to 1883, he was the Molson professor of English language and literature. From 1846 to 1886, he was a fellow and vice-principal. from 1853 to 1886, he was the dean of the Faculty of Arts.