St John's Church, Stratford, E15
Rev. Thomas Stevens (Vicar 1889-1901)


[Photo of Rev. Thomas Stevens]
Rev. Thomas Stevens
Picture 1 - Picture 2
Thomas Stevens, DD, FSA was the son of Thomas Ogden Stevens of Salisbury. He was educated at Shrewsbury, Sherborne and Magdalene College, Cambridge. His first post was as an Assistant Master at Charterhouse in 1863. He was curate of Woodford, Northamptonshire, 1866-8, curate of St Mark's, Victoria Australia Docks, London, E., 1868-70, curate of St Botolph's, Bishopsgate, 1872, curate of Holy Trinity, Brompton, 1872-5, vicar of St Luke's, Victoria Australia Docks, 1875-82, vicar of Saffron Walden, Essex, 1882-9, Honorary Canon of St Albans, 1891-4 & Archdeacon of Essex, 1894-1920. He was also Grand Chaplain of the English Free Masons, 1896-7. He was appointed Suffragan Bishop of Barking in February 1901. He married Anne Elizabeth Bertram in 1866. He retired in 1919, and died in 1920 at Wymondham in Norfolk.

"It may at this point be properly recorded that the dawn of the new century has gladly witnessed a further welcome addition to the episcopal force of the diocese by the elevation of Archdeacon Stevens to be a second Suffragan (By Letters Patent under date Feb. 11th, 1901, in pursuance of Henry VIII. c.14.). This event has the double significance of being the last episcopal arrangement sanctioned by our late beloved Queen, and the first appointment made by His Majesty King Edward VII. It is thus referred to in the Guardian -

"The new Bishop Suffragan was a Scholar and Exhibitioner of Magdalen College, Cambridge, and graduated in 1863. In the same year he took the post of assistant master at the Charter-house School, and was ordained in 1865. His first curacies were at St. Mary's, Charter-house, and Woodford, Northamptonshire. In 1868 he went to St. Mark's, Victoria Docks, and spent four years there, two as curate and two as vicar. Work as curate of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, and at Holy Trinity, Brompton, followed, and in 1875 Mr. Stevens was again attracted to the Victoria Docks, this time filling the vicarage of St. Luke's. Here he remained seven years, proceeding thence to Saffron Walden, where he served as vicar for a like term. He was appointed an Honorary Canon of St. Albans in 1891, and three years later was appointed Archdeacon of Essex. In 1889 he became Vicar of St. John's, with Holy Trinity, Stratford, Essex, and he recently succeeded Canon Henson as incumbent of the Hospital Chapel of St. Mary, and St. Thomas of Canterbury, at Ilford. He is a Past Grand Chaplain of the Masonic body."
Guardian, February 6, 1901.

His consecration, as Bishop Suffragan of Barking, in the Diocese of St. Albans, took place at St. Margaret's, Westminster, on Quinquagesima Sunday, February 17th, 1901."

from "Sketches of Church Life - D W Barrett - 1902"

 
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