DEATH
OF BISHOP TOZER.
Article
from The Guardian 28 th June 1899
"F.
R. H." writes:—"The
announcement of the death of Bishop Tozer will revive in
some minds well-nigh, faded memories. Born in Teignmouth, William
George Tozer came of a family well known in South Devon . His education
commenced at Ilminster, was completed at St. John's College , Oxford
, and at Wells Theological College .
In
1854 he was ordained to the curacy of St. Mary Magdalene, Munster-square.
Then he moved to the vicarage of Burgh, in Lincolnshire —a name then
famous in the missionary world, as there had been planted one of our
valuable missionary colleges. And there it was the missionary call
came to him in the year 1862. The Universities' Mission had been founded
three years previously, but Bishop Mackenzie, its first head, had
succumbed, with nearly all his staff, within about eighteen months
of arrival in Africa . The bishopric was offered to Mr. Tozer, and
he was consecrated on February 2nd, 1863, and started soon after for
Lake Nyasa .
The
first volunteers to join him were two Lincolnshire clergy, the Rev.
C. A. Alington, who pre-deceased his former head only by a fortnight,
and Dr. Steere, who had begun his clerical life in Tozer's neighbourhood
as the curate of Kings-kerswell, and by then was the vicar of the
next parish to Burgh.
When
they arrived upon the scene in Central Africa , it was obviously necessary
to choose a new centre for the work. Magomero, the spot originally
selected, had proved fatally unhealthy, and a famine had removed most
of the people in whose interests chiefly the Mission had been located
there. Morumbala Heights were first tried, and then Bishop Tozer decided
to move the headquarters of the Mission right away to Zanzibar . This
step was, at home, very adversely criticised, and some of the first
supporters of the Mission never forgave Bishop Tozer for making it.
But
subsequent events have proved that it was the wisest possible move,
and it is generally felt at the present day that he was providentially
guided to find for his centre what has since proved the centre of
Central Africa . From the first, Bishop Tozer foresaw the necessity
for training up a native ministry. In any part of the heathen world
the white missionaries should only serve the office of corks to float
the black net, but in Central Africa this is doubly a necessity, when
in less than forty years the Mission has lost six Bishops, twenty-seven
clergy, and forty-six lay workers. The gift of five black slave boys
from the Sultan started the school, and soon after British cruisers
began to bring in freed slaves. To the founding of the school, which
has since grown into the theological college, Bishop Tozer devoted
most of his energies, and a fund called the Wells-Tozer Fund, its
name showing its origin.
And
so the work grew, though the labourers were few and their health often
overtaxed, especially so in the case of the Bishop and his sister
Helen, who had joined him. The foundation was laid by Bishop
Tozer, and we now see the superstructure, a native staff of thirteen
clergy and 105 other teachers.
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In
1872 the strain of the work, intensified by the cholera and a terrible
hurricane, ended in the death of Mr. Pennell and the breaking-up of
Bishop Tozer's health. The Bishop became so ill he could not even
sign his name, and in 1873 he had to resign the see. He has been practically
a broken-down man ever since. He attempted Bishop's work again at
Jamaica and at Honduras , but in each case was hardly able to .hold
on for more than a year. Then, after his final •return to England
even the charge of a parish (South Ferriby, in Lincolnshire ) proved
too much for him. For some time he lived at Highgate, and was often
to be seen at St. Andrew's, Wells-street, but of late he returned
to the haunts of his youth, and generally led a retired life in lodgings
at Dawlish or Exeter . His self-denying liberality was a marked trait
in his character. It is said that when he had to give up South Ferriby
he left there nearly everything he had—horse, carriage, furniture,
&c.—merely coming away with his portmanteaus. A clergyman, who
visited him occasionally in his last years, says of him:—
I
never saw so striking an instance of detachment from the world. He
often came here, would generally go to fresh lodgings, seemed to form
no new friendships, and had no worldly belongings, and generally the
only thing in the room not belonging to the landlady was his Bible,
and perhaps one or two books. But when our church was being restored
(he seldom missed a daily service)
One
or two seizures had impaired his health, and for some time past his
speech had quite gone. The end came in his Exeter lodgings, almost
under the shadow of St. David's new tower, on Saturday, June 17th,
at 11.45 p.m., and' he has left behind him the memory of a life, whether
in active ministry or in beneficent retirement, equally devoted to
the service of God." |
The
Bishop's funeral was solemnised, as befitted his office, in St. Michael's,
Exeter , on Wednesday. By his own directions 8 a.m. was the hour,
and the Burial Service was followed by a celebration of Holy Communion,
both being fully choral. The parochial clergy officiated, and the
Lesson was read by the Rural Dean. The Universities' Mission was represented
by the Rev. F. E. Hodgs_on. There were eight clergy robed, and about
as many more in the congregation, with a good sprinkling (even at
that early hour) of other friends as well as the relatives. At the
end of the Communion Office, the hymn " For all Thy Saints, who
from their labours rest" was sung, and then choir, clergy, and
mourners, headed by a cross-bearer, accompanied the body in procession
to St. David's churchyard. The Benediciie, sung en route,
had a very solemn effect. At the graveside the final prayers
were said by the vicar, and the Nunc Dimittis sung. The coffin,
simply covered by a violet pall (with no flowers whatever, by the
Bishop's directions), was borne on a handbier, and lowered into a
simple earth grave. It was surmounted by a full-length brass cross,
with at its base an inscription:—
W.
G. T., Episc. Ob. 1899. Act. 70.
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