Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Medley, John
MEDLEY, JOHN (1804–1892), first bishop of Fredericton, New Brunswick, son of George Medley of Grosvenor Place, Chelsea, was born 19 Dec. 1804. He was entered in November 1822 at Wadham College, Oxford, whence he graduated B.A. in 1826 in the second class in literis humanioribus. In the same year he was ordained deacon, and priest in 1829. He proceeded M.A. in the following year.
For the first three years of his ministry he was curate of Southleigh, Devonshire; in 1831 he became incumbent of St. John's parish, Truro. In 1838 he was transferred to the vicarage of St. Thomas, Exeter, and in 1842 became a prebendary of Exeter Cathedral. Having proceeded D.D. 15 March 1845, on 4 May he was consecrated to the bishopric of Fredericton, New Brunswick. On 11 June he was installed in the partly built cathedral of that city. He had come to a diocese full of dissension and strife, and he met his difficulties with vigour. In the summer of 1848 he returned to England to raise funds for the completion of his cathedral. In subsequent years he only occasionally left his diocese to attend meetings of the bishops in neighbouring dioceses. On 11 June 1879, as oldest bishop in the Dominion, he became metropolitan of Canada in succession to Bishop Oxenden. In the summer of 1889 he attended the Lambeth Pan-Anglican Conference, and was made an honorary LL.D. of Cambridge and D.D. of Durham. He died on 9 Sept. 1892, aged nearly 88.
He was the author of the ‘Episcopal Form of Church Government,’ 1835; of two volumes of ‘Sermons,’ 1845; and of a ‘Commentary on the Book of Job,’ 1860. With the Rev. H. J. Cornish he translated the ‘Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Corinthians’ (vol. iv. of the ‘Library of the Fathers,’ Oxford, 1838). He also composed a few anthems.
[Dr. W. Q. Ketchum's Life of Medley, St. John's, N.B., 1893; Toronto Mail, 10 Sept. 1892; Colonial Church Chronicle; Foster's Alumni Oxon.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.198
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 205 | i | 25 | Medley, John: for entered the church read was ordained deacon |
| 7 f.e. | for 1035 read 1835 |