History of Randolph, (Orange County) Vermont United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Randolph, (Orange County) Vermont, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

William Henry Augustus Bissell, 2d bishop of Vermont and 88th in succession in the American episcopate, was born at Randolph, Vt., Nov. 10, 1814; son of Dr. Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Washburn) Bissell. He received his primary education in the Randolph public schools and academy, and was graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1836. For a time he taught the classics in Bishop Hopkin's school for boys, and at the same time studied for the ministry. In the fall of 1837 he established a private school in Detroit. In 1838 he applied for holy orders in the diocese of New York and taught in the Troy Episcopal institution. On Sept. 29, 1839, he was ordained deacon in Calvary church, New York city, by Bishop Onderdonk, and on July 12, 1840, priest by the same bishop in Troy, N.Y., and recived the appointment in Christ church, which position he held until the following year, when he took charge of Trinity church, West Troy. He remained there until 1845, when he was called to the rectorship of Grace church, at Lyons, N.Y. In 1848 he accepted a call to the rectorship of Trinity church, Geneva, N.Y., and there continued until his election as bishop of the diocese of Vermont in 1868. He was elected a memberof the standing committee of the diocese of western New York in 1850, an office which he continued to hold for sixteen years. He was married Aug. 29, 1838, to Martha, daughter of Phineas Moulton, and five children were born to them. He was consecrated bishop of Vermont, June 3, 1868. He was a trustee of Hobart college, 1849-'68; received honorary A.M. and S.T.D. there, 1868, and D.D. from Norwich 1852, and from the University of Vermont, 1876. He died at Burlington, Vt., May 14, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Randolph, (Orange County) Vermont

Biographies: