New-York tribune., 1903-11-30
BISHOP TO BE Il RECTOR.
Church of England Preldte Resigns
TO Take Post Here.
STEP NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT.
Tpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l

Halifax. Nov 29-The Right Rev DR.. Fred
erick Courtney of the Church of England, has
resigned as Bishop Of the Diocese Of Nova
Scotia and has accepted the rectorship of St
James's Church. New-York, a large and iniiu-
entail Episcopal church. Bishop Courtney mas
been sixteen years I'm dioceses of Nova Scotla'
succeeding the late Bishop Binney. Bishop
Courtney is an Englishman by birth, but was
for many years rector of st. PauIs Church,
Boston. The illness of Mrs. Courtney. who has
been an invalid for seven years. induced the
bishop to give up his episcopal seat and once
again accept a rectorship. although he has pre-
viously refused the offer Of bishcpric in the
United States. Bishop Courtneys resignation
takes effect on April -. the anniversary of his
ordination. He is one of the ablest and most elo-
quent preachers in Canada.
Stephen Baker. of No. ESQ Madison-ave-.
warden and trustee of st. James's Church. at
Seventy-first-st and Madison-ave, said last
night TO a Tribune reporter that Bishop Court
ney had been called TO be rector of the church,
and that although he had not yet received Off
cial announcement of the acceptance, he ex-
pected to find one in the morning mall THE
cali was issued TO DR.. Courtney several months
ago." he declared but we did not know whether
or not he would accept it"
Asked if ii was not an unusual thing for
bishop TO resign from his diocese for a rector
ship, he said Il do not think it at all out of the
way. At any rate, IT is not without a precedent.
1 think some time ago there was a Bishop
Southgate who accepted call as rector of a
church. and the incident is quite common among
the English clergy. The main reason that
Bishop Courtney is willing TO make the change
is that Mrs Courtney is in very delicate health.
and the rigorous climate of Nova Scotia does not
agree with her. The bishop went from New
York to Nova Scotia"
The Rev. DR.. Cornelius Smith is at present
acting rector of st. James's Church The for
rner rector. the Rev. DR.. E. Walpole Warren.
died in Germany last August His widow now
lives at No. s23 Madison-ave.
The son of the Rev. S. Courtney, vicar of
Charles Chapel Plymouth, and Caroline daugh-
ter Of Philip Nairn Bishop Courtney was born
at Plymouth in 1887. He was educated in part
at Christs Hospital. first at the preparatory
school at Hartford then at the Bluecoat School
in Newgate-st.. London He graduated In
the first class from Kings College. London, in
1863, when Dr. Jelf. DR.. McCabe, Bishop Eli
cott Dean Plurtree and Archbishop Cheatham
were professors there. He was ordained
priest in 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury
lie was curate of Hudlow. near Pembridge.
Kent. from 1864 TO 1865; incumbent Of Charles
Chapel. now St Luke's, Plymouth. from 1860 to
1870; incumbent of St Jude's, Glasgow, Scot
land. from 1870 to 1876. and assistant minister
Of St. Thomas's Church. this city, from 1876 to
1880 From 1880 to 1882 he was rector Of St
James's Church, Chicago. and from 1852 to 1855
Of ST PauTs Boston Since 1888 he has been
Bishop of Nova Scotia.
DR. Courtney is tall and well formed, with an
especially pleasing face. In theology he has de-
scribed himself as high, low and broad" Al
though in his sermons he uses neither manu-
syTipt nor notes, his discourses have a marked
rhetorical finish IL is said that in the entire
length Of a sermon he viii not hesitate for a
word nor use one infelicitousy-