Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Machray, Robert
MACHRAY, ROBERT (1831–1904), archbishop of Rupert's Land, born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 17 May 1831, of Highland ancestry, was son of Robert Machray, advocate of Aberdeen, by his wife Christian Macallum. His parents were presbyterians. After early education at Nairn Academy and at Coull parish school, he graduated M.A. from King's College, Aberdeen, in 1851, being head of his year, and winning the highest prizes. Proceeding to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, he graduated there in 1855 as 34th wrangler, and was elected to a fellowship. He proceeded M.A. in 1858. He was dean of his college in 1858. Meanwhile he had joined the Church of England, and was ordained deacon in 1855 and priest in the following year. He became vicar of Madingley, near Cambridge, in 1862. In 1865 Machray was Ramsden preacher at Cambridge, and in the same year he accepted the bishopric of Rupert's Land, as successor to David Anderson, the first bishop, being consecrated at Lambeth on 24 June 1865. He proceeded D.D. of Cambridge, and was made hon. LL.D. of Aberdeen in the same year.
Machray's diocese covered 2,000,000 square miles of territory, with headquarters at Winnipeg, then a hamlet with a population of 150. To assist him in the administration of the diocese he had only eighteen clergymen. In 1866 he made a difficult tour of inspection of the Indian missions and held a first conference of the diocese on 30 May 1866. A first diocesan synod met on 29 May 1867. Machray was active in introducing new methods of education. He renewed and reorganised the disused St. John's College, Winnipeg, securing John Maclean [q. v.], later first bishop of Saskatchewan, as warden and theological tutor; he himself lectured in ecclesiastical history and liturgiology as well as in mathematics. He also formed a college school for boys, of which he took charge. In 1878 he founded Machray exhibitions at the college for sons of clergymen and contributed to the foundation of St. Jolin's Ladies' College. When the University of Manitoba was constituted in 1877, Machray became chancellor, holding the office until his death. St. John's College was made a constituent college of the university. He was also chairman successively of the provincial board of education and the advisory board; and exerted in that capacity constant influence upon the educational development of the province.
Meanwhile Machray was faced by great difficulties in organising his diocese. Frequent destruction of the crops by locusts and the rebellion of Riel in 1870 arrested his progress. At the same time the population was growing, and Machray did all in his power to organise the diocese on lines likely to serve the future. In course of time the bishopric was subdivided into eight sees (Moosonee, 1872; Mackenzie River, 1874; Saskatchewan, 1874; Athabasca, 1884; Qu'Appelle, 1884; Calgary, 1888; Selkirk, 1891; Keewatin, 1901). One hundred and ninety clergy and numerous lay readers were enlisted in church work. In 1875 Machray became metropolitan of Canada under the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and at the union of the Canadian Anglican churches in 1893 he was created archbishop of Rupert's Land and primate of all Canada. He aided in the formation of the general synod of the Dominion which met in that year, when he was also created prelate of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Machray attended the Lambeth Conferences in 1878 and 1888, and in the latter year preached before Cambridge University. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Manitoba University in 1883; from Durham in 1888, and that of D.C.L. from Trinity College, Toronto, m 1893. He died unmarried at Winnipeg on 9 March 1904. A state funeral was decreed, and he was buried in the cemetery of St. John's Cathedral.
A portrait by Colin Forbes was presented to Machray in 1882.
[Robert Machray, Life of Archbishop Machray, 1909; Morgan, Canadian Men and Women of the Time; Dent, Canadian Portraits; Mockridge, Bishops of the Church of England in Canada and Newfoundland; Lowndes's Bishops of the Day, 1897.]