migration:
Ireland - Lancaster, PA - Dover, DE - NJ - Halifax, Nova Scotia
CHARLES INGLIS, Anglican Bishop
INGLIS, Charles, Anglican
bishop, born in Ireland in 1734; died
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 24 February, 1816. He emigrated to
this country, and previous to 1759 took charge of the free school
at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was licensed by the Bishop of
London in December, 1758, and appointed missionary at Dover,
Delaware, by the Society for the propagation of the gospel,
he labored there from 1759 till 1765, when he became assistant
minister of Trinity church, New York city. In 1775 he replied
to Paine's "Common Sense" by a pamphlet, which proved
so offensive to the "Sons of Liberty" that they committed
it to the flames. Two editions were printed subsequently at
Philadelphia. Though requested to do so by Washington, he refused
to omit the prayer for the king and royal family, and after
the Declaration of Independence he caused his church to be closed,
and retired in August, 1776, to Flushing, L. I., which was then
in possession of the British.
After Washington's defeat he
followed the royal army to New York,
and was chosen rector of Trinity church in 1777. In 1781-'2
he was chaplain to the 1st battalion of New Jersey volunteers,
and at the evacuation in 1783 went to Halifax. In 1787 he went
to England, and on 12 August was consecrated at Lainbeth the
first bishop of Nova Scotia, with jurisdiction over the other
North American provinces, he had the distinction of being the
first colonial bishop of the Church of England. In 1767 King's
college (now Columbia) conferred upon him, and in 1770 he became
one of the governors of the college, an office which he retained
until his removal from the city.
He published " Essay on Infant
Baptism" (New York); "A
Vindication of the Bishop of Llandaff's Sermon"
(New York); two sermons, and a letter in "Hawkins's
Historical Notices."
His son, John, also bishop of
Nova Scotia, and appointed a member
of the council in 1825, died in London in 1850.--John's son,
Sir John Eardley Wilmot, British soldier, born in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, in 1814; died in Hamburg, Germany, 27 September, 1862,
took part in the campaign of the Punjaub in 1848-'9, and obtained
the rank of lieutenant-colonel. His regiment was at Lucknow
when that place was besieged by the Sepoys in the summer of
1857, and after the death of Sir Henry Lawrence he succeeded
to the command, he was knighted and brevetted major-general.
