Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-01-05

Bishop Gilbert Haven, Of the Methc-
dist Episcopal Church, died on Satur'
day evening, at six O'Clock, at his
mothers residence, in Maiden, near
Boston, In the 59th year OF his age.
Bern at Maiden, Mass, September 10,
1921, Of the same Puritan family Of
which Chancellor X. o. Haven, Prof.
Joseph Haven and Samuel +. Haven
were conspicuous members, he grad
uated at the Wesleyan University,
Niddletown, Conn, in 1846, was ior
two years teacher Of Latin and Greek
in Armenia Seminary, New York, and in
lS4S becameprinoipal Of that institution.
In lS49 he was refused admission as
preacher to the Philadslphia conference
on account Of the vigor of his ABOLITION
ideas, but in 1851 he found no Difficult
ty in being admitted to the New Eng
land Conference. For several years he
was stationed in important Massachus-
stts towns, including Northampton,
Wilbrahsm, Westfeld, Roxbury and
Cambridge. At the outbreak of the
civil war he volunteered his services in
the Eighth Massachusetts, regiment
(Butler's command) and his commits
sion as chaplain bearing the date April
IS, 1861, was the first issued during
that war.
In the following year, 1862, he made
tour in Europe. and on his return
occupied for two years the pulpit of an
important Boston church. In 1855 he
was appointed supervisor Of destitute
freedmen and whites in the State Of
Mississippi, and in 1857 was made cd
itor of "Zion's Herald" the leading
organ Of his Church in New England.
He achieved great success with "Zion's
Herald" and made 1t an organ of the
most advanced theological radicalism
consistent with thorough orthodoxy on
doctrinal points.
On May %, 1872, he was elected Bish-
op by the General Conference held at
the Academy of Music in New York city,
almost simultaneously with Bishops
Bowman, Harris, Foster, Wiley, Mer-
rill, Andrews and Peck, icing the larg
est single creation Of brigadiers in the
Church militant ever known in the de-
nomination. Bishop Haven was assigned
to the Gulf States, and took up his epis-
copal residence at Atlanta, Ga. He
spent the winter of ls72-73 in Mexico
experimenting the Methodist missions
in that Republic.
In December, 1875, he created an
immense sensation at q gathering OF
the Methodist clergy in Boston by a
pronuncament0 in favor of slecting
General Grant TO a third term, move
ment which was more or less approved
by the great majority Of his associates,
and by other representative bodies in
the Northern States.
Bishop Haven was a warm personal
friend and admirer of General Grant,
and was by no means Oblivi0us to the
advantage to be gained for his demon
ination by the attitude he had assumed
in case his propaganda should be crown.
cd with success.
In 1877 Bishop Haven went to Liberia
accompanied bya body of freedmen,
whose interests he looked after with
great efficiency. He travelled extern
sively in Liberia, and there contracted
the malarial disease which has now re-
suited in his death.
He was q very unconventional Per-
son, whom 1t would scarcely be irrev-
erent to designate as "a jolly good
fellow" and his old friends must have
found 1t difficult to think Of auburn
haired, stout, ruddy "Gil Haven" as q
prelat. of the church. He is an illus
tration Of the power which good health
and cheerful wit may exert In spiritual
concerns. He was a gifted author and
published several interesting and pop
ular works.