Thomas Frederick Davies (father)

Right Reverend Thomas Frederick Davies, Sr.
III Bishop of Michigan
Church	Episcopal Church
Diocese	Michigan
Predecessor	Samuel Smith Harris
Successor	Charles D. Williams
Orders
Ordination	Deacon in 1856, priest in 1857
Consecration	1889
Personal details
Born	August 31, 1831 Fairfield, Connecticut
Died	November 9, 1905 (aged 74) Detroit, Michigan
Spouse	Mary L. Hackstaff
Children	Anna Hackstaff, Marion Sanford, Thomas Frederick Davies, Jr.
Alma mater	Hopkins Grammar School, Yale University, Berkeley Divinity School, University of Pennsylvania, Hobart College

Thomas Frederick Davies, Sr. (August 31, 1831 - November 9, 1905) was the third bishop of the Diocese of Michigan in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

Personal

Davies was born in Fairfield, Connecticut on August 31, 1831 to Thomas Frederick and Julia Sanford Davies. He was of Welsh descent and raised in Fairfield.^[1] Davies prepared for college at Hopkins Grammar School in New Haven, Connecticut. He entered Yale University in 1849, where he was close friends with George Shiras, Jr. and Andrew Dickson White, and graduated in 1853. He studied at Berkeley Divinity School under Bishop John Williams. Davies lived with Bishop Williams for six years, became his secretary, and remained close friends until the death of Bishop Williams.^[2] In 1871, he received a Doctor of Divinity from the University of Pennsylvania; a Legum Doctor from Hobart College in 1889; and a Legum Doctor from Yale University in 1893.^[3] Davies married his wife, Mary L. Hackstaff, on April 29, 1862.^[4]

He died of pneumonia at his home in Detroit on November 9, 1905 (aged 74). He was survived by his wife and his children, Anna Hackstaff, Marion Sanford, and Thomas Frederick Davies, Jr. - who was serving as rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Worcester, Massachusetts^[5] and would go on to become the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. He was buried at Christ Church Detroit on November 13, 1905.^[1]

Professional

Davies was ordained a deacon on May 18, 1856 by Bishop Williams at the Christ Church in Middletown, Connecticut and priest on May 27, 1857. He was professor in Hebrew at the Berkeley Divinity School from 1857 to 1863.^[1][3][4]

He served as rector at St. John's Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from 1863 to 1868, before becoming rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until 1889.^[3][4][5] During his tenure at St. Peter's, 3,000 people were baptized, 1,000 people were confirmed, the church's endowment fund was created, the St. Peter's House was established, two churches were built, and US$700,000 (equivalent to $18,435,926 in 2015) were contributed for church purposes.^[2]

He was consecrated at St. Peter's as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan on St. Luke's Day, October 18, 1889, and served in that position until his death.^[2][4][5] During his tenure, the value of the Diocese's property increased from US$1,411,705 (equivalent to $37,180,127 in 2015) to US$1,908,369 (equivalent to $50,260,785 in 2015); disbursements increased from US$204,603 (equivalent to $5,388,637 in 2015) to US$240,803 (equivalent to $6,342,038 in 2015); communicants increased from 12,214 to 17,716; and confirmations increased from 1,112 in 1888 to 1,198 in 1905.^[3]

References

1. Journal of the 72nd Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Michigan. Detroit: Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. 1905.
2. Todd, Charles Burr (1906). The History of Redding, Connecticut, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time. Grafton Press. pp. 162–163.
3. Michigan Churchman. Detroit: Michigan Churchman Company. 1911.
4. Universities and Their Sons. R. Herndon Company. 1899. p. 312.
5. "Death of Bishop Davies". The New York Times (Detroit). November 10, 1905. Retrieved March 17, 2014.