Memorial to George Wyndham Hamilton Knight Bruce in Exeter Cathedral

George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce was an

Anglican 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 th ...

bishop serving in Southern Africa, first as bishop of Bloemfontein and then as the inaugural bishop of Mashonaland, in the late nineteenth century. Knight-Bruce was born in 1853 and, having retired early owing to ill health, died in 1896.

Education and early appointments

He was born in 1852 in Devonshire, was the eldest son of Lewis Bruce Knight-Bruce of Roehampton Priory, Surrey, and his wife, Caroline Margaret Eliza, only daughter of Thomas Newte of Tiverton in Devonshire. Sir James Lewis Knight-Bruce was his grandfather. He was educated at Eton and

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

, and ordained in 1887. He began his career with curacies at Bibury and

Wendron Wendron ( kw, Egloswendron (village), Pluw Wendron (parish); historically St. Wendron) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, to the north of Helston. The parish population at the 2011 census was 2,743. The elect ...

. He then held incumbencies at

St George's Church, Everton St George's Church is in Everton, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is the earliest of three churches in Liverpool built by John Cragg, who ...

and Bethnal Green. During this period the Oxford House Settlement was established.

Southern Africa

On 25 March 1886, he elevated to the episcopate, Knight-Bruce went to South Africa as bishop of Bloemfontein in 1886. Translated to

Mashonaland Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. Currently, Mashonaland is divided into four provinces, * Mashonaland West * Mashonaland Central * Mashonaland East * Harare The Zimbabwean capital of Harare, a province unto itself, lies entirely ...

as its first bishop in 1891, he resigned in 1895. Knight-Bruce was accompanied by the lay catechist and, ultimately, martyr,

Bernard Mizeki Bernard Mizeki (sometimes spelt Bernard Mzeki; – 18 June 1896) was an African Christian missionary and martyr. Born in Mozambique, he moved to Cape Town, attended an Anglican school, and became a Christian. Early life He was born Mamiyeri Mitsek ...

, (c 1861-1896) who under Knight-Bruce and his successor Bishop Gaul would carry out missionary work amongst the Shona people. Knight-Bruce left an account of this missionary endeavour in his published ''Journals of the Mashonaland Mission 1888 to 1892'', and in subsequent reminiscences under the title ''Memories of Mashonaland''. The Bishop retired early due to ill health.

Return to England

On his return to England he was appointed

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Bovey Tracey and an

assistant bishop An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop. Church of England In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan) bishops – in which case they ...

within the Diocese of Exeter, posts he held until his death on 16 December 1896.''The Times'', Thursday, 17 Dec 1896; p. 6; Issue 3576; col C ''Obituary Bishop Knight-Bruce''

Family

On 21 August 1878, he married Louisa, daughter of John Torr of Carlett Park in Cheshire. By her he had a daughter.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight-Bruce, George Wyndham Hamilton 1853 births 1896 deaths 19th-century Anglican Church of Southern Africa bishops Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Anglican bishops of Bloemfontein Anglican bishops of Harare and Mashonaland People educated at Eton College Clergy from Devon