James Palmer (bishop) explained
Edwin James Palmer (called James) was the Bishop of Bombay from 1908 until 1929.[1] He was born in 1869 into a noted family[2] and educated at Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford. Made deacon in 1896[3] and ordained priest in 1898, he was elected a Fellow of his old college[4] and was Tutor[5] and Chaplain there until his appointment to the episcopate[6] where (according to his Times obituary) he was
“moderate in opinion and accommodating in all things except where basic beliefs and principles were involved”.[7]
He was consecrated a bishop on
Ascension Day 1908 (28 May), by
Randall Davidson,
Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral. He returned to England in 1929
[8] and became Assistant Bishop of Gloucester until his death. A prolific author,
[9] in retirement he continued to serve the church
[10] until his death on 28 March 1954 and his extensive papers are preserved for posterity within the
Lambeth Palace Library.
[11] Palmer was the subject of a
clerihew which acquired some currency at Oxford:
[12] "J. A. Smith
Said Christianity was a myth;
When he grew calmer
They sent for Mr Palmer."
Notes and References
- "A history of the Church of England in India since the early days of the East India Company” Chatterton, E: London: SPCK, 1924
- His father was Edwin Palmer, sometime Archdeacon of Oxford and a younger brother of Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne.
- [The Times]
- [Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]
- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=P22022 National Archive details
- [The Times]
- The Times, Tuesday, Mar 30, 1954; pg. 8; Issue 52893; col D Bishop E. J. Palmer Missionary In India
- Book: [[Richard Malden|Malden Richard (ed)]] . Crockford's Clerical Directory for 1920 (51st edn) . London . The Field Press. 149. 1920 .
- His works included “The Great Church Awakes”, 1920; “The Destiny of the Anglican Churches”, 1931; “The Challenge of an Indian Experience”, 1933;and “Christ's Partners”, 1947”
- Chairing an important commission: Dispensation in Practice and Theory. With special reference to the Anglican Churches being the Report of a Commission appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1935 under the chairmanship of Edwin James Palmer,D.D. London, SPCK, 1944
- Web site: Collection details . 28 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060718170444/http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/news/Annualreport2000/accessions_mss.html . 18 July 2006 . dead .
- Letter from Conrad Russell to Helen Asquith, 13 December 1927, in Letters of Conrad Russell 1897-1947 (John Murray, London, 1987), at page 94.
