Daniel Wilson (bishop) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Wilson
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Wilson in 1832, portrait by Thomas Phillips.
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| Born | 2 July 1778 |
| Died | 2 January 1858 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata, India |
| Nationality | British |
Daniel Wilson (born July 2, 1778 – died January 2, 1858) was an important English church leader. He became the Bishop of Calcutta in India. He was known for his strong beliefs and for helping to spread Christianity.
Becoming a Church Leader
Daniel Wilson was born in Spitalfields, London. His father, Stephen Wilson, made silk. When Daniel was 13, he started working for his uncle.
Later, two church leaders, John Eyre and John Newton, encouraged Daniel to become a minister. He went to St Edmund Hall, Oxford University in 1798. He finished his studies in 1802 and became a priest in 1801. His first job was helping Richard Cecil in Chobham and Bisley.
A Powerful Preacher
Daniel Wilson became a very good speaker. He was part of a group called the Clapham Sect. These were evangelical Anglicans who wanted to make society better. They worked to end slavery and improve schools.
Wilson held several important church jobs:
- From 1807 to 1812, he was a minister in Worton, Oxfordshire.
- From 1808 to 1824, he worked at St John's Chapel, Bedford Row in London. He became the main minister there in 1812.
- From 1824 to 1832, he was the vicar of St Mary's Church, Islington.
In 1827, Wilson started the Islington Clerical Conference. This was a meeting for church leaders to discuss important topics. He also helped start the Lord's Day Observance Society in 1831. This group worked to encourage people to keep Sunday as a day of rest and worship.
His Time in India
In 1832, Daniel Wilson received a special degree from Oxford University. That same year, he became the Bishop of Calcutta. This made him the first main leader of the Anglican Church in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Bishop Wilson worked very hard in India. He was known for being faithful and firm in his beliefs. He helped build new churches and schools.
- In 1841, he helped found Dhaka College. It was finished in 1846.
- He also founded an English church in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) in 1855.
- One of his biggest achievements was founding St Paul's Cathedral in Calcutta. This beautiful church was finished in 1847.
In 1835, Bishop Wilson spoke out against India's caste system. He called it "a cancer," showing he believed it was a very harmful system.
Daniel Wilson died in Calcutta in 1858. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.
His Writings
Daniel Wilson wrote many sermons and books. Some of his well-known works include:
- The Evidences of Christianity, . . . a Course of Lectures (1828–1830)
- The Divine Authority and Perpetual Obligation of the Lord's Day, asserted in seven sermons (1831)
- Bishop Wilson's Journal Letters (1863), which were letters he wrote to his family during his first nine years in India. His son, Daniel Wilson, published these letters.
His Family
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In 1803, Daniel Wilson married Ann Wilson. They had six children, but three of them died when they were young.
When Daniel Wilson moved to India, his son, Daniel Frederick Wilson, took over his role as Vicar of Islington. His son served there for more than 40 years. Another one of his sons became a missionary in Canada, working with indigenous communities.
