James Seth (11 February 1913 – 8 April 1975) was an Anglican bishop in

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. He was the first bishop of Tamatave (now Toamasina) from its creation in 1969 until his death in 1975.

Early life

Seth was born posthumously in Madagascar in 1913, the son of Baba Seth, a teacher, and Christine Tatelo. Seth was the grandson of Marie Celeste, the first Christian convert of the Anglican mission in Tamatave. He was educated at mission schools and at a government school.

Clerical career

He trained for ordination at St Paul's Theological College, Antananarivo, and St Boniface College, Warminster,''Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-74'', 85th Edition, p 862. which trained ordinands specifically for missionary work. He was ordained deacon in 1942 and priest in 1945. He served his title at Ampasimanjeva (1942-45) and was then Priest-in-Charge (1945-49), before becoming Priest-in-Charge of

Tamatave Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave or in the past as Port aux prunes, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the ...

(1949-61). He was consecrated bishop in the chapel at

Lambeth Palace Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament of the United King ...

in 1961 and was then an assistant bishop in what was then the Diocese of Madagascar. At the time of the announcement of his appointment as a bishop, he was Rural Dean of Tamatave. On the splitting of the Diocese into three dioceses in 1969, he became the inaugural bishop of the Diocese of Tamatave. He died in 1975, and was succeeded by Samuel Rafanomezane, Archdeacon of Tamatave. After his death both the town and diocese of Tamatave were renamed Toamasina.

Civic honours and legacy

Seth remained in post during the 1947

Malagasy Uprising The Malagasy Uprising (; ) was a Malagasy nationalist rebellion against French colonial rule in Madagascar, lasting from March 1947 to February 1949. Starting in late 1945, Madagascar's first French National Assembly deputies, Joseph Raseta, ...

. He was made an Officer of L’Ordre National de la République Malgache in 1964. A school in

Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French language, French Tamatave or in the past as Port aux prunes, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief ...

is named after Seth, as is a street.

References

1913 births 1975 deaths Alumni of St Boniface Missionary College, Warminster 20th-century Anglican bishops in Africa Anglican bishops of Toamasina {{Madagascar-bio-stub