Transcript

Of

Rev. Walter John Edmonds [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. 46, (1914), pp. 41-42.

by

Maxwell Adams (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1914 Tavistock meeting. The Rev. Chancellor Edmunds was a Past President of the Devonshire Association and held high office within the Established Church. In Church of England cathedrals, the Chancellor is one of the senior canons of the cathedral (those members of the chapter of (generally) priests, headed by a dean, who are responsible for administering the cathedral). The Chancellor has a particular responsibility for matters of education and scholarship, often acting as the cathedral librarian and archivist. At Exeter Cathedral the position was established in 1225 by Bishop Brewer. The Chancellor is generally one of four chief dignitaries in the cathedral chapter, the others being the Dean, the Precentor and the Treasurer. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

The Rev. Chancellor Edmonds was the son of Walter Edmonds by his wife Ann Courtenay, daughter of Mr. Harry, of Helston, Cornwall, and was born at Penzance in 1834, and began life under the influence of Dissent, his parents being Wesleyans. He was educated at the Penzance Grammar School and in 1857 became a student of the Church Missionary College, Islington, whence he was ordained in St. Paul's Cathedral as Deacon in 1859. He worked as curate for a short time at Mawgan-in-Pydar, and later left for India with the intention of taking up missionary work, and took Priest's Orders in Madras in 1860. But the climate of India not suiting him, he returned to England in 1864 and filled the curacy of Redruth for five years. In 1869 he was appointed Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the western counties, which post he resigned in 1873. From 1870 to 1873 he was domestic chaplain to Sir Thomas Acland of Killerton; 1873-1889, Rector of High Bray, N. Devon; 1889-1900, Vicar of St. George's, Tiverton; appointed Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral in 1885 ; Canon in 1890 ; and Chancellor of the Cathedral in 1900, a post for which he was essentially qualified owing to his great knowledge of archaeological matters, especially in connection with the See of Exeter and its Cathedral, which post he held till his death on 18 April, 1914.
He was a lifelong scholar, a great reader, and had great literary attainments. In 1880 Archbishop Tait conferred on him the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. In 1900 he was appointed examining chaplain to the Bishop of Exeter, and Honorary Chaplain to the Bishop of Winchester in 1903, and from 1892 to 1911 he was Proctor in Convocation for the Dean and Chapter of Exeter.
He was twice married. Firstly, to Miss Gill, of Truro, and secondly, to Miss Humphrys, daughter of Mr. R. H. Humphrys, of the firm of Humphrys, Tennant & Co., of Deptford. His wife and four sons and four daughters survive him.
He joined the Association in 1891 and was President in 1899, when the Association met at Great Torrington, which office he filled with great ability, his kindly, genial, and humorous manner greatly adding to the success of the meeting. His loss will be keenly felt by all who knew him.