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RT Rev. Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn (1864-1929)
Born in Totnes, Devon in 1864 to William & Emily his father must have been an entrepreneurial fellow as at various times he was an accountant, bailiff, clerk to the County Court, coal merchant, grocer, and a wine, spirit, and ale merchant. Together they raised ten children and five of their six sons became priests, plus one of Nathaniel’s sisters married a clergyman. So, it may not have been unusual when Nathaniel entered the Church. He was educated at Totnes Grammar School and Durham University and ordained in 1891, beginning his career as a Curate at the church of St Maurice, Eglingham, which is a small village in Northumberland about 7 miles north-west of Alnwick, from 1889 to 1893 and then at St Helen, Kelloe, Co. Durham from 1893 to 1896. He completed his Licentiate of Theology in 1899, followed by a MA in 1902, and a doctorate in Divinity in 1904. He was ordained in 1891 and began his career with a Curacy in Eglingham.
He married Isabel Louisa Rogers in about 1895 and they had two sons (William & Osbert Hamlyn). His blossoming career took him to Africa in 1901 as a Missionary with the Church Mission Society. In 1904 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) was in the doldrums and it invited The Reverend to be the Assistant Bishop of Western Equatorial Guinea with charge of the Gold Coast and its hinterland. He took up residence at Sekondi in June 1904. Sekondi had had long connections with Europeans, especially with the trade in gold. The Dutch were there as early as 1640 but the British took over the Dutch possessions in 1872. The area prospered. Reverend Hamlyn built the Cathedral Church of St Andrew the Apostle at Sekondi (shown below left) which was dedicated by him on 30th November 1905. Sadly, the original building was destroyed by fire in 1932 but was re-built between 1933-1937.
In 1909 the Diocese of Accra was created out of the Diocese of Equatorial Africa and the Rev Hamlyn rose to become the first Bishop of Accra. He pursued a high church tradition oriented towards wealthy merchants, higher professionals, and civil servants. The church believed in better education and in 1910 Rev. Hamlyn founded the SPG Grammar School named Adisadel College at Adisadel but returned to England the same year the SPG Grammar School was set up-1910. In 1911 he was listed as living at The Vicarage, Easton, Norwich with his wife and two sons William & Osbert. He was listed as being a Bishop and remained there until at least 1914, possibly longer. He became the Vicar at St Mary the Virgin, Martham in 1921 and was known to have owned a Trojan car with a crest on the door that he drove around the village. Outside his clerical duties Hamlyn maintained an interest in Archaeology and produced various drawings for archaeological societies In 1928 he retired to The Rectory at North Creak where he died on 26th January 1929.
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- Signature of Rt Rev Nathaniel Hamlyn
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- Rt Rev Hamlyn pictured in His Trojan car which had a crest on the door.
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- Hamlyn built the Cathedral Church of St Andrew the Apostle at Sekondi was dedicated to him on 30th November 1905.
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- Tablet to the memory of the RT. Rev Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn in St. Mary’s Church, North Creak, Norfolk
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- Information on his family in a 1909 census taken in England
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- The Rectory at North Creak-Norfolk England where he died after retirement from being a Vicar at St Mary the virgin.
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- Birth registry details from 1864 when he was born
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- Probate when he died and valuation of his effects
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- Bishop Hamlyn’s Diary
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- Bishop Hamlyn
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- The Bishop’s Mystra
