Charles Abraham

Charles John Abraham (18144 February 1903) was the first Anglican Bishop of Wellington. He married Caroline Palmer who became a noted artist.

Life Born in Farnborough, Hampshire, in 1814, the son of Royal Navy captain Abraham, he was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge and was later a fellow. He gained his BA in 1837, MA (Cantab) in 1840, BD in 1849, and received the degree of DD in 1859. He was made deacon on 11 March 1838, and ordained priest 26 May 1839, both at Lincoln. He was Assistant Master at Eton until 1850, when he went out to New Zealand to become Master of the English department of St John's College, Auckland. Selwyn had for two or three years been offering to members of the Church of England a Church Constitution, under which they were to govern themselves; and during the two years which followed, while absent in England, he left Abraham to set out its principles.

In 1857, a convention of churchmen was held in Auckland, which resulted in the framing of the Constitution. In the following year Abraham, who had also been acting as chaplain to the bishop, was appointed first Anglican Bishop of Wellington: he was confirmed (legally taking the See) on 4 September 1858 and consecrated a bishop on 29 September by John Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury; Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford; and John Lonsdale, Bishop of Lichfield, at Lambeth Palace chapel. He arrived back in New Zealand 30 March 1859 and was installed at St Paul's Pro-Cathedral on 3 April.

After he resigned the canonry in 1890, he lived with his son who was vicar of Bakewell. He died at the vicarage, Bakewell, on 4 February 1903.

Family Abraham married in 1850 Caroline Harriet, daughter of Harriet Pepperell and Charles Palmer, 2nd Baronet, of Wanlip Hall, Leicestershire. Caroline "Cary" Abraham was a talented artist

Their only son was Bishop Charles Abraham of Derby, and their grandson Philip Abraham was Bishop of Newfoundland.