John Graham (bishop)

The Rev. John Graham (23 February 1794, Durham – 15 June 1865, Chester) was an English churchman and academic. He served as master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1830 to 1848, and as Bishop of Chester from 1848 to 1865. Graham died at the Bishop's Palace, Chester, on 15 June 1865, and was buried in Chester Cemetery on 20 June 1865. He tutored Charles Darwin at Cambridge from 1829 to 1830.

Graham, the only son of John Graham, managing clerk to Thomas Griffith of the Bailey, Durham, was born in Claypath, Durham. He was educated at Durham School and at Christ's College, Cambridge,^[2] where he attained high proficiency as a classical and mathematical scholar. In 1816 he graduated as fourth wrangler and was bracketed with Marmaduke Lawson as chancellor's medallist, proceeding B.A. in 1816, M.A. in 1819, B.D. in 1829, and D.D. by royal mandate in 1831.^[3] He was elected a fellow and tutor of his college in 1816, and on the resignation of Dr John Kaye in 1830, was chosen Master of Christ's College.

In 1828 he was collated to the prebend of Sanctæ Crucis in Lincoln Cathedral, and six years later to the prebend of Leighton Ecclesia in the same diocese. He served twice as vice-chancellor of the university, first in 1831 and again in 1840. It was in the latter year that he admitted Lord Lyndhurst to the office of high steward of the university, and his speech on that occasion is printed in Cooper's Annals of Cambridge.^[4]

Ordained in 1818, he became rector of Willingham, Cambridgeshire, in 1843. He was nominated chaplain to Prince Albert on 26 January 1841, and in the contest for the chancellorship of Cambridge University on 27 February 1847 he acted as chairman of the prince's committee.

In 1848 on the translation of John Bird Sumner to the see of Canterbury, Graham received the vacant bishopric of Chester. His consecration took place in the Chapel Royal, Whitehall, on 14 May 1848, and on 16 June he was installed in Chester Cathedral. On his departure from Cambridge, the mayor and council of the town presented him with an address of congratulation on his appointment, the only instance in which such a tribute had been offered by that body.

The bishop was a liberal in politics, but seldom spoke or voted in the House of Lords. He was a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Universities Commission and took an active part in its proceedings. His manner of life was simple. His principal aima was to preserve peace within the diocese, though he could be firm when necessary. His conciliatory approach extended to the dissenters of Chester, a stance that caused some offence to the high church party.

On 25 September 1849 he was appointed Clerk of the Closet to the Queen, a position he held until his death. He enjoyed the friendship of the Prince Consort and the respect of the Queen. He died at the Palace, Chester, on 15 June 1865, and was buried in Chester Cemetery on 20 June. In 1833 he married Mary, daughter of the Rev. Robert Porteous, by whom he had eight children, the eldest being the Rev. John Graham (1834–1873), registrar of the diocese of Chester.

v t e Clerks of the Closet
17th century	Richard Neile William Juxon Matthew Wren Richard Steward Gilbert Sheldon John Earle John Dolben Walter Blandford Nathaniel Crew Thomas Sprat Sir Edward Petre John Tillotson Thomas Burnet John Montagu
18th century	William Graham Samuel Pratt Charles Trimnell Richard Willis Henry Egerton Joseph Butler John Gilbert John Thomas William Buller Richard Hurd
19th century	William Jackson George Pelham Robert Carr Edward Stanley John Graham Henry Philpott Randall Davidson
Since 1900	William Boyd Carpenter Hubert Burge Thomas Strong Cyril Garbett Percy Herbert Roger Wilson Gordon Fallows John Bickersteth John Waine Jonathan Bailey Christopher Hill James Newcome Richard Jackson

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John Graham (bishop)

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