The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-19
THE DIOCESAN CONVENTION AND
DEATH OF BISHOP BISSELL.

The Annual Convention of the Episco.
pal church in the diocese of Vermont,
which will be held in st. Pauls chu ;ch,
Burlington the first Wednesday in June,
will be of unusual interest to all church
men in the State 1t will the 25th ami
versary of the conservation of the pres
ent Bishop --Rt. Rev. W. H. A. Bissell,
d. D., and every parish and mission sta
tion has been asked to make an offering
on the first Sunday in June to be sent to
the treasurer of the diocese, for such OBJ
jects as the Bishop shall designate, as
memorial of his conservation. On the
same Sunday each clergyman is expect
ed to preach sermon in his parish in
this State.
The Bishop has designated as a suit
able memorial of the 25th anniversary of
his conservation, the formation of per-
manent furd, to aid the education of
the children of the Clergy of the diocese.
The offering already mentioned viii
form the beginning of such fund.
1t is possible that the Clerical and Lay
deputies to approaching convention may
elect an assistant Bishop, on account of
the age and infirmity of Bishop Bissell,
and if this is done it will be at his re-
quest.
The delegates from st. Peters chursh
are: L. f. Abbott, l.. p. Norton, II. L.
Stillson and II. o. Harwood.
Since the above was written Bishop
Bissell has died. He passed away, at his
residence at noon Sunday We give a
brief sketch of his life. The Right Rev.
DR.. William Henry Augustus Bissell was
born in Randolph, November 10, 1914.
He G aduated from the University of
Vermont in the class of 1886 and began
teaching classics and studying theology
in Vermont Episcopal institute in Bur-
lington when in charge of the late
Bishop Hopkins. In the fall of 1887 he
was teacher in a school in Detroit.
Mich. On August 2S, 1898, he married
Miss Martha G. Moulton of West Ran
dolph. and in the following month be-
gan teaching in the Troy Episcopal In
stitute. September 30, 1889, he was or
dained deacon in New York City by
Bishop Onedonk and July u, ordained
priest by the same bishop in Troy, NY,
and received the appointment in Christ
church, Troy, which position he held
until the following year, when he took
charge of Trinity church, West Troy, n.
Y, where he remained until 1910, when
he was called to the rectOrship of Grace
church, Lyons, N. Y. In 1S48 he re-
ceiVed call to the rectorship of Trinity
church, Geneva, N. Y, and there con-
tinued until his election as bishop of
Vermont in 1868. He was elected a
member of the standing committee of
the diocese of western New York in 1850
and held this office 10 years. He was
consecrated bishop June 3, 1868, in
Christ church, Montpelier. Rt. Rev.
Samuel A. McCoskey, bishop of Michi-
gan, officiated, assisted by Bishops John
Williams of Connecticut, Horatio Potter
of New York. Henry A. Neeley of Maine
and Arthur G. Cox of Western New
York. Bishop Bissell made his resi-
dence in West Randolph for two years
succeeding his election, moving to Bur-
lington in 1870. His administration of
the Vermont diocese has been most sue
cessful. He leaves five children-Mrs.
Willard S. Pope, Detroit, Mich, Mrs.
Laura M. Gray and Mrs. Mary A. Shaw
of Burlington, John H. Bissell, Detroit
and W. A. Bissell, San Francisco.
The funeral was held Wednesday af-
ternoon at ST. Paurs church, Burling-