George Washington Doane b.1799 NJ
The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume III
Doane, George Washington, second bishop of New Jersey and 29th in succession in the American episcopate, was born in Trenton, N.J., May 27, 1799; son of Jonathan and Mary (Higgins) Doane. He was graduated at Union college in 1818, and entered the General theological seminary with the class of 1824 but left the seminary in 1821 to receive deacon's orders on April 19 of that year, and served as an assistant to Bishop Hobart, the rector of Trinity parish, New York city. He was admitted to the priesthood, Aug. 6, 1823. He assisted the Rev. George Upfold in founding St. Luke's church, New York city; was professor of rhetoric and oratory in Trinity, then Washington college, Hartford, Conn., 1824-28; was assistant to the Rev. William Croswell in editing the Episcopal Watchman, 1824-28; was assistant to the Rev. Dr. Gardiner, rector of Trinity church, Boston, Mass., 1828-30, and rector of the parish, 1830-32. He was elected second bishop of the diocese of New Jersey and was consecrated in St. Paul's chapel, New York .city, Oct. 31, 1832, by Bishops White, Onderdonk and Meade. He founded St. Mary's hall, Burlington, N.J., the first effort in America "to educate the church's girls in the church's way." He subsequently founded a school for boys which became Burlington college. He incurred certain financial obligations in providing buildings for these institutions which led to his being obliged to assign his property for the benefit of his creditors and in 1851 to a presentment for trial, but the presentment was unanimously dismissed, the diocesan convention having vindicated him before the trial was held. He was rector of St. Mary's church, Burlington, from the time of assuming the office of bishop up to the time of his death, and president of Burlington college, 1846-59. He helped to frame the first constitution of the domestic and foreign missionary society of the church and was the first American bishop to preach in the established church to an English congregation, at the consecration of the Parish church of Leeds. He was married in 1829 to Eliza Greene Callahan, widow of James Perkins of Boston, Mass. Their son William Croswell became the first bishop of Albany and another son, George Hobart, a convert to the Roman Catholic faith, was elevated to prothonotary apostolic. Bishop Doane received the degree of S.T.D. from Union, Trinity and Columbia in 1833 and that of LL.D. from St. John's college, Annapolis, Md., in 1841. He published, Songs by the Way 1824; and fugitive poems, including The Wedded Flags; Softly Now the Light of Day and Thou Art the Way. He died in Burlington, N.J., April 27, 1859.