Alfred Willis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfred Charles Willis (3 February 1836 – 14 November 1920)[1] was an Anglican missionary[2] bishop[3] and author[4] in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[5]
The Right Reverend Alfred Charles Willis | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Honolulu | |
| |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Honolulu |
| In office | 1870–1902 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Nettleship Staley |
| Successor | Henry Bond Restarick |
| Other post | Missionary Bishop in Tonga (1902–1920) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1860 |
| Consecration | 2 February 1872 by Archibald Campbell Tait |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 February 1836 Braceborough, Lincolnshire, England |
| Died | 14 November 1920 (aged 84) Milford on Sea, Hampshire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | Francis Willis & Henrietta Lowe |
| Spouse |
Emma Mary Simeon (m. 1883) |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford |
Biography
Born the son of a physician, he was educated at Uppingham and St John's College, Oxford,[6] and ordained deacon in 1859 and priest in 1860.[7] After a curacy in Strood, Kent,[8] he was the incumbent at St Mark, New Brompton[9] from 1863 until his appointment as the second bishop of Honolulu[10] in 1872.[11] He held this post for 30 years, until he retired to Tonga where he served as missionary bishop until his death.[12]
Willis was supportive of Liliʻuokalani, the last sovereign monarch of Hawaii, after her 1893 overthrow. Shortly after her release from house arrest in 1896, he baptised and confirmed the deposed queen.[13]
