Spreading the Word: Bishops from across the Globe
Past display archive
15 July 2013 - 30 March 2014
Room 23: case display
Free
William Moore Richardson
by Elliott & Fry
circa 1890s
NPG x159418
Joseph Sakunoshin Motoda
by Unknown photographer
circa 1920s
NPG x159318
The Anglican Church began its spread across the world after the Church of England separated from Rome in the sixteenth century. The first manifestation of Anglicanism was in North America in 1607 but no overseas bishops were appointed for the next 150 years; colonial churches instead reported to the Bishop of London. The first bishop of an overseas territory was consecrated in 1784 by the newly formed American Protestant Episcopal Church which had split from the Church of England after the American War of Independence.
The loss of the American colonies led the Church of England to seek to strengthen its role overseas. The Consecration of Bishops Abroad Act was passed in 1786 and the Church began a more concerted effort to appoint bishops for overseas dioceses. However, by 1840 there were only ten colonial bishops; this slow progress led the Bishop of London, Charles Blomfield, to publicly declare that ‘an Episcopal church without a bishop is a contradiction in terms.’
In the nineteenth century, despite a rapid increase in the consecration of overseas bishops, the Church was reluctant to give overseas dioceses any independence. By the end of the century interest in missionary work had waned, as had efforts to increase the number of native-born clergy. In the twentieth century the Church had renewed its overseas efforts and there was a gradual understanding of the need to give autonomy to overseas dioceses.
This display presents a selection of works from a collection of portraits of Anglican bishops that was donated to the National Portrait Gallery by the Corporation of Church House in 1949.
The collection of portraits of Bishops can be explored further here.
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Related portraits
- Thomas Valpy French (NPG x159059)
- Octavius Hadfield (NPG x159110)
- William Moore Richardson (NPG x159418)
- Sydney Linton (NPG x159256)
- George Evans Moule (NPG x159319)
- Jabez Cornelius Whitley (NPG x159612)
- Richard Hooker Wilmer (NPG x159634)
- Isaac Oluwole (NPG x125150)
- Joseph Sakunoshin Motoda (NPG x159318)
- John Taylor Smith (NPG x159476)
- William Proctor Remington (NPG x159412)
- Archibald Lang Fleming (NPG x159052)