William Murray Stone, D.D. (June 1, 1779–February 26, 1838) was an American

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

clergyman from

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 ...

. He was bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Maryland The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland forms part of Province 3 of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Having been divided twice, it no longer includes all of Maryland and now consists of the central, northern, and western Maryland c ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

from 1830 until his death.

Early life

William was born in Somerset County to John and Betsy (Murray) Stone. His family had been important in the development of Maryland for over a hundred years. His great-great-grandfather William Stone had served as governor of the colony, and a cousin (

Thomas Stone Thomas Stone (1743 – October 5, 1787) was an American Founding Father, planter, politician, and lawyer who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate for Maryland. He later worked on the committee that formed the Artic ...

) signed the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

. William attended

Washington College Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...

Chestertown, Maryland Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. History Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...

and graduated in 1799. After college, Stone studied theology.

Ministry

Bishop Thomas Claggett ordained him a deacon in

Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...

on December 3, 1803. After his ordination as priest, Kemp became rector of Stepney Parish then in

Somerset County, Maryland Somerset County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,620, making it the second-least populous county in Maryland. The county seat is Princess Anne. The county was named for Mary, ...

. He served there for over twenty years until he was transferred to be rector of St. Paul's in

in 1829. After the unexpected death of bishop James Kemp in 1827, Maryland's clergy and lay delegates deadlocked as to his successor, and both future Massachusetts bishop

Manton Eastburn Manton Eastburn (1801 in Leeds, England – 1872) was an Episcopal bishop who served as the fourth Bishop of Massachusetts from 1843 till 1872. Biography After graduation from Columbia University, he studied at the General Theological Seminary o ...

and missionary bishop

Jackson Kemper Jackson Kemper (December 24, 1789 – May 24, 1870) in 1835 became the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Especially known for his work with Native American peoples, he also founded parishes in wha ...

refused the position. In 1830 the diocesan convention again deadlocked as the same two prominent candidates (

John Johns John Johns (July 10, 1796 – April 5, 1876) was the fourth Episcopal bishop of Virginia. He led his diocese into secession and during the American Civil War and later tried to heal it through the Reconstruction Era. Johns also served as Presi ...

of the low-church party and William Edward Wyatt of the high church party) tied for election as bishop. Stone, although sickly, was nominated as a compromise candidate. His election was nearly unanimous. He was consecrated as bishop on October 21, 1830 in Baltimore by Bishops William White,

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 ...

and Henry U. Onderdonk. Bishop Stone published a number of Pastoral Letters and some sermons.

Death and legacy

He died in 1838 at

Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 United ...

and is buried next to his wife Anne Savage Stone (d. 1821) at the ''Parsons Cemetery'' in

Wicomico County Wicomico County () is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,588. The county seat is Salisbury. The county was named for the Wicomico River, whic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, William Murray 1779 births 1838 deaths People from Somerset County, Maryland Washington College alumni 19th-century Anglican bishops in the United States Stone family Episcopal bishops of Maryland