Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-09-24
BIsHoP Lay DEAD.
Ellis Life and Eminent Services la ahc
Church.

The Baltimore Sun reports the dealt
in the Church Homo, that city, Thursda,
afternoon, of the Right Rev. Henry
Chamllin Lay, d. D., the first bishop o
the diocese of Easton. Bishop Lay hat
been lying i'll at the home since Septeln
Der 9th. On that dny he returned from
Massanutton Springs, near Harrisonburg
Va, whittier he went, nt,acnompanied by his
wife, one of his sons and his daughter, OF
August 18th. - Previous to that time the
bishop had beon north for several weeks
at Rock Island, on the New England
coast. His disease was heart affection,
with other disorders partly of dropsical
nature. He was first taken seriously sick
several months ago while delivering lee
lures in New York City.
Bishop Lay was born in Richmond, Va.
December 9th, 1923. He was graduated
at the University of Virginia, July 4th,
1912, and at the Virginia Theological
Seminary in 1916. He was teacher at
intervals for three years before ordina-
ton one year of that time at the Epis-
copal High School of Virginia, under the
Rev. DIR. Dalrymple. He was ordained
deacon by Bishop Meade in Christ
Church, Alexandria, July 10th, 1916, and
served as deacon for six months in Lynn
haven parish, Va. On May 18th, 1SI7, he
married Elizabeth Withers Atkinson,
daughter of Roger b. and Mary Atkinson
of Sherwood, Lunenberg county, Va. and
removed Immediately to Huntsville, Ala,
where he was ordained priest by Bishop
Cobbs, July 18th, 1913, in the Church Of
the Nativity. He remained rector of that
church until elevated to the episco-
pate. He WIS consecrated mis-
sionary bishop of the southwest in
st. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church,
ttichmn,d, October 23d, 1858, by Bishop
Meade of Virgiuia, assisted by Bishops
ilrBlynihe of Ohio, Polk of Louisiana,
De Lancay of western New York, Whit
'iughmn OF Maryland, Elliott of Georgia,
Cobbs of Alabama, and Atkinson of North
Carolina. During the severance of the
north and south by the civil war Bishop
lay was elected diocesan, November LIST,
1862, OF the "Diocese of Arkansas, in the
Confederate States of America and sub
accepted that election, July 4th,
1864, at the invitation of the bishop of
Georgia, he consented to act as ''mission-
lry bishop to the Army of the Tennes-
see," and acted as such throughout
the siege of Atlanta and for some
time thereafter. October 5th, 1865, he
the session of the general con-
vention in Philadelphia rs missionary
bishop of the southwest, the diocese OF
Arkansas not being ready to apply for
admission into union with the convention.
AT this convention the titles to the several
Jurisdictions were changed, and Bishop
Lay was declared to be missionary bishop
Of Arkansas and parts adjacent, with
jurisdiction i'll Arkansas and the Indian
territory. The diocese of Maryland
having been divided, and u new See of
Easton having been created out of the
nine Eastern Shore counties, Bishop
Lay was elected diocesan and
to Easton April 1st, 1869. As
n scholar and theologian Bishop Lay had
q high reputation in Europe as well as in
the United States. He WINS the author of
n number of works and sermons of recog-
nized merit. His style of writing was
pure, simple, straightforward, typical of
the man himself. He was dearly loved
by the people of the Eastern Shore, and
the announcement of his death will pro-
duce widespread and sincere grief.
Bishop Lay leaves a wife and four chill
dren, Henry @. Lay, civil engineer the
Rev. George w. Lay, who has been
ordained deacon and is assistant ut st.
Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, Erie,
Pa, and Bierne Lay of the class of 'S4
of Yale College, and ono daughter,
Louisa. Mrs. Lay has been his devoted
and constant attendant during his illness.
His sons have visited him, but they and
his daughter were at their homes when
he died. The bishop suffered a great
deal of pain from his disease, but bore
his suiferings with fortitude and patience.
The Rev. Frank Adkins of the diocese
of Easton was with him to the last, and
the Rev. John S. Miller, rector of st.
Andrews Church, Baltimore, and chap
lain to the Church Home, was present.
kilograms were sent to the standing COM
mittee and the other clergy of the diocese
of Easton informing them of their
bishops death.