Thomas Church Brownell
Thomas Church Brownell | |
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7th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church | |
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Church | Episcopal Church |
Appointed | 1852 |
In office | 1852-1865 |
Predecessor | Philander Chase |
Successor | John Henry Hopkins |
Other post(s) | Bishop of Connecticut (1819-1865) |
Orders | |
Ordination | August 4, 1816 by John Henry Hobart |
Consecration | October 27, 1819 by William White |
Personal details | |
Born | Westport, Massachusetts, United States | October 19, 1779
Died | January 13, 1865 Hartford, Connecticut, United States | (aged 85)
Buried | Cedar Hill Cemetery (Hartford, Connecticut) |
Nationality | American |
Denomination | Anglican |
Parents | Sylvester Brownell & Mercy Church |
Spouse | Charlotte Dickinson |
Children | 3 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Statue_of_Thomas_Church_Brownell_at_Trinity_College_CT.jpg/220px-Statue_of_Thomas_Church_Brownell_at_Trinity_College_CT.jpg)
Thomas Church Brownell (October 19, 1779 – January 13, 1865) was founder of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1852 to 1865.
Biography[]
Brownell was born in Westport, Massachusetts on October 19, 1779. He was a descendant on his mother's side from Colonel Benjamin Church, an early settler in Little Compton, Rhode Island and the father of American ranging. He studied at Union College, Schenectady, New York, receiving his degree in 1804.
Brownell was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood by Bishop John Henry Hobart. He was consecrated Bishop of Connecticut in New Haven on October 27, 1819. Brownell's extensive writings include diocesan charges, liturgical material, scriptural commentaries and other works. He founded Washington College (now known as Trinity College), Hartford as a faith-based college and served as its first president for nearly a decade.[1]
Brownell served as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1852 until his death, succeeding Philander Chase.
Brownell was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, next to Samuel and Elizabeth Colt.[1] Brownell had presided over their wedding in 1856.[1]
Statue[]
Brownell's son-in-law Gordon Burnham commissioned artist Chauncey Ives to design a larger-than-life bronze statue of Brownell to be placed at Brownell's grave in Cedar Hill Cemetery. It was cast in 1869 by the foundry of Ferdinand von Miller of Munich. Burnham decided to donate the statue to Trinity College instead. The statue was first erected November 11, 1869, overlooking Bushnell Park, at the original site of the college. It was moved in 1878 to the main quadrangle of the new Trinity Campus.[2]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Thomas Church Brownell (1779 – 1865)". Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation. Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Church Brownell by Chauncey B. Ives". Hartford Art. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
Further reading[]
- A Sketch-book of the American Episcopate, by Hermon Griswold Batterson
- The Episcopate in America, by William Stevens Perry
External links[]
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- 1779 births
- 1865 deaths
- 19th-century Anglican bishops in the United States
- Burials at Cedar Hill Cemetery (Hartford, Connecticut)
- Episcopal Church in Connecticut
- People from Westport, Massachusetts
- Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
- Religious leaders from Hartford, Connecticut
- Trinity College (Connecticut)
- Union College (New York) alumni
- Episcopal bishops of Connecticut