Wilberforce, Samuel

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Bishop of Oxford (1845); Established the Cuddesdon Theological College (1854); Bishop of Winchester (1869); and initiated the Revised Standard Edition (RSE) of the King James Bible (1870; RSE completed in 1895).

NICKNAME/ALIAS:

Soapy Sam

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:

Clapham Common, London, September 7, 1805

DATE/PLACE OF DEATH/AGE AT DEATH:

July 19, 1873 near Dorking, Surrey. Aged 67

DISCIPLINE:

Bishop

FIELD:

Religion

LANGUAGE:

English

PARENTS:

William Wilberforce & Barbara Spooner

SIBLINGS:

Robert and Henry

SPOUSE:

Emily Sargent (married June 11, 1828)

CHILDREN:

Reginald Garton, Ernest Roland, Albert Basil Orme, and Emily Charlotte

EDUCATION:

Oriel College, University of Oxford (1823)

MAJOR WORK:

Life of William Wilberforce (with Robert Wilberforce; 1838)

History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America(1844)

LIFE AND TIMES:

Samuel was one of one of three sons of William Wilberforce* (a leading light of the anti-slavery movement in England). Privately educated until college, Samuel entered Oriel College, Oxford in 1823, where he distinguished himself as a "zealous advocate of liberalism" during his participation in the "United Debating Society" (later to be known as the "Union"). Samuel was also fond of hurdling and hunting. He graduated in 1826 in Math and Classics.

After College he married Emily Sargent on June 11, 1828, and was ordained curate-in-charge at Checkenden near Henley-on-Thames that December. Two years later Samuel he became rector of Brightstone in the Isle of Wight.

In this position Samuel found his calling when, in 1831, he published a pamphlet on church taxes 'to correct the prejudices of the lower order of farmers, ' and in the following year a collection of hymns for use in his parish (it achieved general circulation), a small volume of stories titled the “Note Book of a Country Clergyman,” and a sermon on the Apostolical Ministry.

Samuel did not share the views of the majority of the Anglican Oxford Movement. In 1838 this led Newman* to refuse further contributions from him to the ‘British Critic,’ and to say that Samuel should no longer consider Newman a close working companion.

During the late 1830's Samuel contributed to several literary works, the most notable of which was a book published in 1838, in co-operation with his brother Reginald, which chronicled the life of their father.

In November of 1839 he was appointed as archdeacon of Surrey, and later that next year he was canon of Winchester and rector of Alverstoke. By 1841 he had been chosen Bampton lecturer, and made chaplain to Prince Albert (thanks to a speech he had given at an anti-slavery meeting). Two years later, in October 1843, he was made sub-almoner to the Queen.

His second most notable work appeared in 1844: "History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America". In March of the following year he became Dean of Westminster, in October Bishop of Oxford.

Three years later he became ensnared in the Hampden Controversy and signed a petition Lord John Russell ( with twelve other bishops) against Professor of Divinity Hampden's appointment to the bishopric of Hereford. In 1850 he again fell out of favour with his Anglican peers as he succeeded in converting his brother-in-law, then his brothers, his only daughter, and finally his son-in-law to the Roman Catholic faith. He remained Anglican.

Then, in 1854, he founded Cuddesdon theological college, later the subject of some controversy on account of its alleged Romanist tendencies.

Perhaps the most important moment in Samuel Wilberforce's public life took place on June 20th, 1860, at Oxford. A debate had been arranged between Samuel and TH Huxley*. Huxley was standing in for Charles Darwin* and was arguing as a supporter for the Theory of Evolution, which Charles Darwin had just publicized in his book, "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection."

Samuel was against evolution and was probably the most capable creationist debater at that time (he was known as "Soapy Sam" because of his ability to outmaneuvre his debating opponents).

While the odds seemed to favour Samuel, it proved, in the end, that Huxley outmatched him (when he retorted that he'd rather be descended from a monkey than from someone who would so twist the truth).

Samuel was killed by a fall from his horse.

ASSESSMENT: A major figure in the anti-Darwin debates.

EXTRA CONNECTIONS: His anti-Darwin stance was publicly supported by Disraeli*

Attended lecture by and shared views of anti-Darwinist Richard Owen*

A friend of Burdett-Coutts*

ONELINER: “Soapy Sam” Wilberforce, early anti-Darwinist

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

http://freespace.virgin.net/owston.tj/wilberforce1.htm

http://65.107.211.206/religion/herb7.html

http://52.1911encyclopedia.org/W/WI/WILBERFORCE_SAMUEL.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/b34.htm

http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss099.html

http://65.107.211.206/religion/jhnbio.html