Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Ellicott, Charles John
ELLICOTT, CHARLES JOHN (1819–1905), bishop of Gloucester, was born on 25 April 1819 at Whitwell, near Stamford, where his father, Charles Spencer Ellicott, was rector. His mother was a Welsh lady, Ellen, daughter of John Jones. His grandfather was also a clergyman beneficed in Rutland, and was grandson of John Ellicott [q. v.], clock-maker to King George III and man of science. Ellicott was educated at the grammar schools of Oakham and Stamford, and proceeded in 1837 to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he won in 1838 the Bell University scholarship. At his tripos examinations he only passed as a senior optime and as second in the second class of the classical tripos; but he won the members' prize for a Latin essay in 1842 and the Hulsean prize for an essay on the Sabbath in 1843 (published the following year), and was elected to a Platt fellowship at St. John's College in 1845. He graduated B.A. in 1841 and M.A. in 1844, and was ordained deacon in 1846 and priest in 1847. After taking his degree he engaged in tutorial work. His fellowship lapsed on his marriage in 1848, and he accepted the small living of Pilton, Rutlandshire, where he pursued mathematical studies, publishing in 1851 'A Treatise on Analytical Statics.' He also began a series of commentaries on St. Paul's Epistles, and contributed an essay on the apocryphal gospels to 'Cambridge Essays' (1856). Until Bishop Lightfoot's works began to appear, Ellicott's commentaries on St. Paul's Epistles were recognised as the best in the English language for scholarship and breadth of view. His commentary on Galatians came out in 1854 (5th edit. 1884); that on Ephesians, on the pastoral epistles, on Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, and on Thessalonians, followed successively in 1855-6-7-8; all reached four editions. The commentary on 1 Corinthians was not published until 1887, and those on Romans and on 2 Corinthians he never completed. In 1851 Ellicott reviewed the first volume of Henry Alford's New Testament in the 'Christian Remembrancer.' complaining of his reliance upon German commentators. Alford issued a pamphlet in reply, but his cordial appreciation of Ellicott's 'Galatians' in 1854 led to a close friendship. Alford helped to broaden Ellicott's intellectual and religious views. In 1858 Ellicott left Pilton to succeed Trench as professor of New Testament exegesis at King's College, London. In 1859 he was Hulsean lecturer at Cambridge, and delivered the 'Historical Lectures on the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1860; 6th edit. 1876 which proved one of his most popular books. Next year he became Hulse professor, holding the post for some time with his King's College professorship and residing in Cambridge. On 19 Feb. 1860 he was seriously injured in a railway accident at Tottenham, while travelling from Cambridge to London; his gallantry ministering spiritually to his fellow suffer attracted public admiration. Despite a permanent limp (he could never wear episcopal gaiters), he continued to skate and enjoyed mountaineering. He joined the Alpine Club in 1871 and remained a member till 1904.
In 1861 Ellicott was made dean of Exeter, and also undertook the task of organising a diocesan training college. In the same year he contributed to 'Aids to Faith,' a volume designed as a counterblast to 'Essays and Reviews'; his essay dealt with Jowett's article on the 'Interpretation of Scripture.' In 1863 he was called to united sees of Gloucester and Bristol, an was consecrated in Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March 1863.
Ellicott's episcopate lasted for forty-two years. He threw himself vigorously in diocesan work, improving the efficiency of his clergy, showing himself sympathetic to all schools of thought, helping the establishment of the Gloucester Theological College, and raising in Bristol 85,000l. for the restoration of the 'truncated and nave-less' cathedral. He promoted the work of church extension, forming in Bristol in 1867 the Church Aid Society, and encouraging the Bristol Church Extension Fund. Outside his own diocese his activity and influence were so conspicuous that in 1868, on Archbishop Longley's death, was recommended by Disraeli for the vacant see of Canterbury; but Queen Victoria chose Archibald Campbell Tait [q. v.]. Ellicott was secretary of the first Lambeth conference in 1867, and of its successors in 1878 and 1888; at the conference of 1898 he was made registrar, and was the only English prelate who attended the four conferences. In 1867 he was a member of the royal commission on ritual and the rubrics (1867–70). Samuel Wilberforce (Life, iii. 216) described Ellicott as ‘hot and intemperate in trying to force on condemnation of chasuble.’ As a result of the fourth report of the commission, Ellicott formed one of a committee of bishops to consider the question of retranslation of the Athanasian creed, and in February 1872 read a proposed revision in Convocation, delivering one of the ‘four great speeches’ (Life of Tait, ii. 140) on the subject. In 1873 a committee of the upper house of Convocation drew up a report on confession. Magee, Ellicott's friend and ally, tells us that ‘it was mine and Gloucester and Bristol's’ (Life of Magee, 296). This declaration was in the main adopted by the Lambeth conference of 1878.
Among all Ellicott's activities he was proudest of his share in the revision of the Bible. As early as 1856, in the preface to his edition of ‘St. Paul's Pastoral Epistles,’ he had advocated revision, as against a new translation; and he was one of the ‘five clergymen’ who in 1857 published a revision of the Gospel of St. John (3rd edit., with notes, 1862), which was followed by revisions of Romans and Corinthians in 1858 and other epistles in 1861. In 1870 he brought the whole subject before the public in a volume of ‘Considerations.’ He was the chairman of the company which revised the New Testament, missing only two out of the 407 sittings, and in 1881 he presented the completed work to Convocation. He then attached himself to the company revising the Apocrypha, and presented the result of their labours to Convocation in 1896. Finally, in 1899, he presented the marginal references. A sharp controversy arose on the publication of the revised New Testament with regard to Ellicott's conduct as chairman. He was accused of allowing more changes in the text than his instructions permitted, but he defended himself with learning and good temper, and his ‘Addresses on the Revised Version’ of Holy Scripture (1901) remains the best popular account of the undertaking. His most important literary labour in the later part of his life was ‘The Old and New Testaments for English Readers,’ which he began to edit in 1878. He collected a strong band of collaborators, including Plumptre and Dr. Sanday. In scholarship and breadth of view the work was much in advance of any previous commentary for general use. ‘A New Testament Commentary for English Readers’ appeared in 3 vols. 1878–9; 3rd edit. 2 vols. 1892–6. ‘An Old Testament Commentary’ in 5 vols. 1882–4; reissued 1884–92. An abridgement of the ‘New Testament Commentary,’ ‘for the use of schools,’ followed in 14 vols. (1878–83), and was succeeded by ‘The Complete Bible Commentary for English Readers,’ 7 vols. 1897 (new edit. 1905, with 48 plates).
In 1891 the publication of ‘Lux Mundi’ stirred Ellicott to challenge the soundness of ‘the analytical view’ of the Old Testament. In his ‘Christus Comprobator’ (1891) he insisted that fresh views of doctrine as well as of history were involved in the new views. Although in his most popular volumes he might seem to stem the tide of modern thought, Ellicott's influence was not reactionary. His courage and honesty forced him continually to the task of correlating old and new views, and his conspicuous candour and courtesy always raised the tone of controversy. His last charge (1903) was a final proof that his mind to the end was open to new truth.
In 1897, with Ellicott's concurrence, the united sees of Gloucester and Bristol were divided. He remained bishop of Gloucester, surrendering 900l. of his income. As a memorial of his thirty-four years' connection with Bristol, a reredos from the designs of J. L. Pearson was dedicated in the cathedral on 19 Oct. 1899. In 1903 the fortieth anniversary of his consecration was celebrated in the chapter house of Gloucester Cathedral. He resigned on Lady day 1905, and died on 15 Oct. 1905 at Birchington-on-Sea, where he was buried. A recumbent effigy was erected to his memory in Gloucester Cathedral. A portrait in oils by Holl, which was presented to the see, is in the Palace, Gloucester. A replica belongs to the widow. A cartoon portrait by ‘Spy’ appeared in ‘Vanity Fair’ in 1885.
On 13 Aug. 1848 he married Constantia Annie, daughter of Admiral Alexander Becher, and had by her a son and two daughters. In addition to the works mentioned above, he published numerous annual reviews of ‘diocesan progress,’ charges, collections of addresses, and sermons and prefaces to books.
[Eagle, xxvii. No. 138, 84–106, and No. 139, 253–6; The Times, 16 Oct. 1905; Alpine Journal, xxiii. 171.]