William Hart Coleridge (1789–1849) was an English bishop, best known as the first Bishop of Barbados (1824–42.) His tenure focused on expanding religious education, rebuilding churches, and improving local conditions.
Born in Thorverton, Devon, he was the only son of Luke Herman Coleridge, a relative of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He studied theology and divinity at Christ Church, Oxford. After serving as a curate in London, he became secretary to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
Consecrated in 1824, Coleridge oversaw a vast Caribbean diocese, increasing clergy numbers, establishing schools, and rebuilding churches, particularly after the 1831 hurricane. His efforts advanced the region’s religious and educational development.
In 1842, health issues led to his resignation, prompting the diocese’s division into Barbados, Antigua, and Guiana. He later became warden of St. Augustine’s Missionary College in Canterbury.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Coleridge
Be cautious with whom you associate, and never give your company or your confidence to those of whose good principles you are not sure.
—William Coleridge
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