Rt Rev Frederick Gell

Reverend Frederick Gell

Adm. pens. (age 18) at TRINITY, Mar. 28, 1839. S. of Philip (1800), V. of St John's, Derby. B. Sept. 24, 1820, at Matlock, Derbs. School, Rugby (exhibitioner, 1839). Matric. Michs. 1839; Bell Scholar, 1840; Scholar, 1841; B.A. (Class. Trip., 1st Class) 1843. Migrated to Christ's; M.A. 1846; B.D. 1854; D.D. 1861. Fellow of Christ's, 1843-61. Dean. Hebrew Lecturer, 1850-2, 1853-9. Founded the Gell Hebrew Prize, 1852. ‘Gell was very short-sighted, and the reverse of agile, but he possessed a grand nose, the finest I have ever seen, and a glory to the College. He ruined it for ever in an accident which he had in the Backs, when in his exuberance at the news that he had gained a scholarship, [p.32] he tried to jump a row of low bars and fell heavily on his face’ (Memories, Sir F. Galton, 75). Ord. deacon (Ely) 1843; priest, 1844; C. of Gt St Mary's, Cambridge, 1844-5. Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of London, 1859-61. Whitehall Preacher, 1858-60. Bishop of Madras, 1861-99. Exercised a remarkable influence over men of very dissimilar character by a quiet devout spirit and complete consistency of life. Lived latterly at Coonor, near Madras. Died there Mar. 25, 1902. Brother of Charles A. (1837) and John P. (1834).

Bishop of Madras, India 1861-1899. Rugby School, scholar of Trinity College and Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. Buried at Coonor, South India.

GG mentions in her 'Memoires', "There were three Bishops of the Church of England in India, Bishop Gell, Bishop Cotton and another. They were nicknamed body, soul and spirit, and Bishop Gell represented spirit because he was the tallest and leanest of the three."

Obituary from The Times 1902

OBITUARY

Bishop Gell

           It is announced that Dr. Gell, who recently resigned the See of Madras after a long and arduous episcopate, died on Lady Day, at Culford, Coonor, South India, in the 82nd year of his age. The Right Rev. Frederick Gell, D.D., was the son of the Rev. Philip Gell, formerly of Derby. He won a scolarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, and also the Bell University scholarship in 1840. He graduated in 1843, being placed seventh among the Senior Optimes and in the first class of the Classical Tripos. He was at once elected to a Fellowship at Christ’s College, and was at the time ordained deacon, and in 1844 priest, by the Bishop of Ely (Dr. Allen). In 1849, when Dr. Cartmell became Master of Christ’s after the brief headship of Dr. Shaw, Mr Gell was elected lectured, dean, and assistant tutor. He was for a short time curate of Great St. Mary’s, Cambridge, and in 1858 was appointed Cambridge preacher at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. After ten years’ work at Chist’s College Mr Gell became domestic chaplain, in 1859 to the Bishop of London (Dr. Tait), and two years later, on the death of Bishop Dealtry, he was nominated by the Crown to the Bishopric of Madras. That see had had three Bishops in 26 years. Dr. Gell was destined to maintain the labours of the South Indian diocese for 37 years; and on his retirement, owing to advanced age, in 1898, he elected to remain in India, and end his days there. The diocese is conterminous with the Madras Presidency, and contains a population of about 35 millions. Of these about four millions have, since 1896, been placed under the Bishop of Tinnevelly and Madura, who administers his sphere under a commision from the Bishop of Madras, and with a quasi-independence, appeals being made from him only to the Bishop of Calcutta as Metropolitain. This matter was for a long time the subject of negotiation between Bishop Gell and other parties, the Church Missionary Society having very large interests in Tinnevelly. In spite of his strong adherence to his episcopal rights in this controversy, Dr. Gell never lost the respect of all parties, and his length of service is unique in the chequered annals of Indian Episcopate.