Isaac Lea Nicholson (January 18, 1844 – October 29, 1906) was an American Episcopal prelate. He was the fifth Bishop of Milwaukee, serving from 1891 until his death.

Early life and education

Nicholson was born in

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Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, on January 18, 1844, the son of Johns J. Nicholson and Jane Ricketts. He was educated at St Timothy's Hall in Catonsville, Maryland, after which he entered his father's banking firm. After several years, he enrolled at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

and graduated in 1869. He also studied at

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 ...

and graduated in 1871. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from

Nashotah House Nashotah House is an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. The seminary opened in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847. The institution is independent and generally regarded as one of the more theologically conservative seminaries i ...

in 1890.

Ordained ministry

Nicholson was ordained deacon by Bishop

William Rollinson Whittingham William Rollinson Whittingham (December 2, 1805 – October 17, 1879) was the fourth Episcopal Bishop of Maryland. Early life and career Whittingham was born in New York City, the son of Richard Whittingham and Mary Ann Rollinson Whittingham ...

of Maryland in Grace Church,

, on September 24, 1871, becoming curate at St Thomas' Church in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

. He was ordained priest on September 22, 1872, by Coadjutor Bishop

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, in St Paul's Church,

. He was appointed curate at St Paul's Church, Baltimore, where he stayed till 1875. Between 1875 and 1879, he became rector of the Church of the Ascension in

Westminster, Maryland Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a great ...

, while between 1879 and 1891, he served as rector of St Mark's Church in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. He married Adele Everett Ellicott in 1880.

Bishop

In 1891, Nicholson was elected Bishop of Milwaukee. Nicholson's consecration took place in Saint Mark's Church, Philadelphia on October 28, 1891. He had a heart attack in 1905, and a coadjutor bishop was elected to assist him. Nicholson was an influential

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...

in the Episcopal Church, and championed the Catholic heritage of the church. In 1883, he was elected as Bishop of Indiana but he declined. He died in office on October 29, 1906.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Isaac Lea 1844 births 1906 deaths American Anglo-Catholics Anglo-Catholic bishops Virginia Theological Seminary alumni Dartmouth College alumni 19th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Milwaukee 19th-century American clergy