John Sheepshanks (bishop)

The Right Reverend John Sheepshanks
Bishop of Norwich
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Norwich
In office	1893–1910
Predecessor	John Pelham
Successor	Bertram Pollock
Personal details
Born	(1834-02-23)23 February 1834 Belgravia, London
Died	3 June 1912(1912-06-03) (aged 78)
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Margaret Ryott
Children	17
Education	Coventry Grammar School
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge

John Sheepshanks (23 February 1834 – 3 June 1912) was an English

Born on 23 February 1834 in Belgravia, London to Thomas Sheepshanks (1796–1875), rector of St John's, Coventry and his wife, Katherine (née Smith, 1804 or 1805–1869). Sheepshanks was educated at Coventry Grammar School, then at Christ's College, Cambridge.^[2]

Sheepshanks then moved to Canada as a missionary, working in British Columbia at the time of the Cariboo Gold Rush.^[7] He was responding to an invitation in 1859 from George Hills, the Bishop of Columbia and formerly a fellow-curate under Hook at Leeds.^[5] Sheepshanks was made Rector of New Westminster. Since New Westminster was then little more than a forest clearing on the banks of the Fraser River, this was a rugged life.^[8] He was also chaplain to the Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment. He returned to England in 1864, to raise funds, via San Francisco and Utah; his church had burned down by the time he reached New Westminster in 1866. His father then fell ill, and planning to visit him, Sheepshanks set off once more; the trip turned into an extended Pacific and Asian journey.^[5]

Returning finally to England via

On the level of personal comfort, Sheepshanks was austere. His daughter Dorothy wrote about life in the episcopal palace, where carpets had been replaced by linoleum.^[5]

Family

Sheepshanks married in 1870 Margaret Ryott, daughter of William Hall Ryott M.D. of Thirsk, whom he had seen in a bookshop there.^[12][13] They had 17 children, of whom 12 reached adulthood. Those were:^[14]

• Richard (1871–1939), judge in India and polo player^[15]
• Mary Ryott Sheepshanks (1872–1960), social worker and activist^[16]
• John, in business at Bombay, died 1927[17]
• Elizabeth, whose twin brother Harry died young in an accident.
• Margaret
• Katherine, married in 1906 Samuel Wilberforce (1874–1954), judge in India, and was mother of
  Richard Orme Wilberforce^[18][19]
• Robert
• Edward, educated at Winchester College^[20]
• Anne
• Dorothy, known as the writer Dorothy Erskine Muir
• William, educated at Winchester College and
  Rifle Corps, at age 27^[21][20]
• Thomas Herbert Sheepshanks C.B. (1895–1964), civil servant^[20][22]

References