The Reverend Ernest Henry Shears (1849, Streatham – 20 February 1917, Stafford) was an Anglican clergyman in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. Ernest Henry Shears was the ninth son of James Henry Shears (1788-1855), a partner of

James Shears and Sons James Shears and Sons was a firm of London coppersmiths and braziers who were active from c1785 to 1891. The firm was founded by James Shears (c1750-1820) and continued by his two sons Daniel Towers Shears (1782–1860) and James Henry Shears (178 ...

, and Mary Mann (1810-1893). He was educated at King's College London and St John's College, Cambridge, and in 1871 was ordained a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

. After being ordained, he went to

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, where he became Archdeacon of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

(1887-1892). He then returned to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and eventually retired to Stafford, where he died on 20 February 1917. On 14 January 1875 Ernest Shears married Mary Seawell Boulger, by whom he had three children, one of whom, Cuthbert Shears, also entered the Church. He was a cousin of Rev. Augustus Shears and Rev.

Frederick Spurrell Frederick Spurrell (2 August 1824 – 23 February 1902) was an Anglican priest and archaeologist. Early life and education Frederick Spurrell was born at 23, Park Street in Southwark at a time when his father, Charles Spurrell (1783–1866), wa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shears, Ernest Henry 1849 births 1917 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Alumni of King's College London People from Stafford Anglican archdeacons in Africa 19th-century English Anglican priests