Rowley Hill (22 February 1836– 27 May 1887) was an Anglican clergyman who served in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

as the

Bishop of Sodor and Man The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man (Manx Gaelic: ''Sodor as Mannin'') in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese only covers the Isle of Man. The Cathedral Church of St German where t ...

from 1877 to 1887.

Background

Born in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...

, Ireland on 22 February 1836, he was the son of Sir George Hill, 3rd Baronet and Elizabeth Sophia Rea.

Ordination and early curacies

He was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

in the

Anglican ministry The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. "Ministry" commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the ''threefold order'' of bishops, priests and deacons. More accurately, Anglica ...

in 1860 and served a number of positions in the south of England before becoming Vicar of Sheffield in 1873.

Bishop of Sodor and Man

He was nominated Bishop of Sodor and Man by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

on 9 August 1877 and

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on 24 August 1877. At his appointment he was the youngest bishop in

Anglican communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and oth ...

. At the time of his appointment there was a proposal to add the Archdeaconry of Liverpool to the Diocese of Sodor and Man, but this met with considerable resistance both on the Isle of Man and in Liverpool, resulting in the formation of the

Diocese of Liverpool The Diocese of Liverpool is a Church of England diocese based in Liverpool, covering Merseyside north of the River Mersey, part of West Lancashire, part of Wigan in Greater Manchester, Widnes and part of Warrington and in Cheshire (it was origi ...

in 1880. Hill resided on the island for most of the year and devoted considerable efforts to placing the Manx Convocation on a more professional footing, and revitalizing church life on the island, where he became extremely popular. He married twice, firstly in 1863The Belfast Newsletter. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 5 May 1863 to Caroline Maud Chapman (1839-1882) and secondly in 1884 to Alice Probyn (died 1930). He is mentioned in the song "If you Want a Receipt for that Popular Mystery" sung by Colonel Calverley in the operetta ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when face ...

'' (1881) by

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

and

Sullivan Sullivan may refer to: People Characters * Chloe Sullivan, from the television series ''Smallville'' * Colin Sullivan, a character in the film ''The Departed'', played by Matt Damon * Harry Sullivan (''Doctor Who''), from the British science f ...

. The song lists the elements of a Heavy Dragoon, including "Style of the Bishop of Sodor and Man".

Death

The grave of Bishop Rowley Hill, Brompton Cemetery, London

After nearly ten years of service to the Manx diocese, he died in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 27 May 1887, aged 51. He is buried against the east wall of

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Es ...

in London, south of the main east-west path.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Rowley 1836 births 1887 deaths 19th-century Church of England bishops Bishops of Sodor and Man Clergy from Derry (city)