Cameron Farquhar McRae (June 1812 – August 1, 1872) was an

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

minister who served as the rector of different parishes in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Maryland.

Early life and education

Cameron Farquhar McRae was born in June 1812 in

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...

, to Rhoda (née Young) and Duncan McRae. He was educated by John Rogers of Hillsboro. He matriculated at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

as a member of the class of 1829, but did not graduate. In 1827, he attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

, but left due to ill health after 12 months. He served in the army, but he resigned his position to study for ministry. He then graduated from

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unit ...

in 1835. He was ordained deacon by Bishop

Richard Channing Moore Richard Channing Moore (August 21, 1762 – November 11, 1841) was the second bishop of the Diocese of Virginia (1814–1841). Life and career Moore was born in Manhattan. His classical education at King's College began at age eight, but ...

in the same year, and priest by Bishop

Levi Silliman Ives Levi Silliman Ives (September 16, 1797 – October 13, 1867) was an American theologian and Episcopal bishop of North Carolina. In 1852, he converted to Roman Catholicism. Ives subsequently became a noted professor at colleges in the New York ...

in 1836. He was a

high church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...

Anglican.

Career

For a brief time, he worked under Bishop Moore at

Monumental Church Monumental Church is a former Episcopal church at 1224 E. Broad Street between N. 12th and College streets in Richmond, Virginia. Designed by architect Robert Mills, it is one of America's earliest and most distinctive Greek Revival churches. I ...

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. He then served at Trinity Episcopal Church in

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...

. From 1835 to 1838, McRae was the rector of Christ Church in

Elizabeth City, North Carolina Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It ...

. He was then the rector of Christ Church, New Bern, from 1838 to 1842. From 1842 to 1852, McRae was the rector of Emmanuel Church, Warrenton, though he was also the rector of the Church of the Holy Innocents, Henderson, from 1847 to January 1, 1849. From 1854 to 1856, he was rector of St. John's in

Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of the former Town of Roxbury, now also a part of the City of Boston. The commun ...

. In 1856, he moved to Philadelphia and worked at St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church there. He then worked as assistant minister at

Christ Church, Philadelphia Christ Church is an Episcopal church in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1695 as a parish of the Church of England, it played an integral role in the founding of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. In 17 ...

. At the start of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he resigned his position and moved back to North Carolina. During the Civil War, McRae was a chaplain in the 15th North Carolina Infantry Regiment of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. At the General Council of the

Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America was an Anglican Christian denomination which existed from 1861 to 1865. It was formed by Southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States during the American Civil ...

, McRae was one of the Georgia delegates. From 1863 to 1867, he was in Savannah, Georgia, as the rector of

St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...

. In 1867, he became rector at

All Hallows Church All-Hallows-the-Great was a church in the City of London, located on what is now Upper Thames Street, first mentioned in 1235. Destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666, the church was rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. All-Hallo ...

Anne Arundel County, Maryland Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...

. He served in that role until his death. In his ''History of the University of North Carolina'', Kemp P. Battle called McRae "a prominent Episcopal minister" in several states.

Personal life

McRae married Julia Theodosia Burgoyn, daughter of John F. Burgoyn and granddaughter of Jonathan Edwards, between 1838 and 1842. She died in 1853. They had seven children, including John Burgoyn and Katharine Mary. He married Susan Plummer, daughter of William Plummer, on December 11, 1861. They had five children, including William Plummer, Julia Theodosia and Cameron Farquhar. McRae died at his home in Davidsonville, Maryland, on August 1, 1872.

Notes

References

Citations

Books

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McRae, Cameron Farquhar 1812 births 1872 deaths People from Fayetteville, North Carolina People from Anne Arundel County, Maryland United States Military Academy alumni Virginia Theological Seminary alumni Confederate States Army soldiers People of North Carolina in the American Civil War 19th-century American Episcopal priests