Hamilton, Charles

Second Bishop of Niagara; First Bishop of Ottawa; Seventh Metropolitan of Canada; First Metropolitan of Ontario.

Charles Hamilton was born in Hawkesbury, Ontario in 1834, and educated in Montreal, Quebec. He obtained his B.A. at Oxford University in 1856, and a B.A. (ad eundem) from the University of Bishop's College in Lennoxville, Quebec in 1857. He was ordained deacon that same year, and served a curacy at Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity in Quebec until 1858, when he was ordained priest. From 1858 to 1864, he was incumbent of St. Peter's Church, Quebec. He received an M.A. from Oxford in 1859, as well as an M.A. (ad eundem) from the University of Bishops' College. He was the Honourary Clerical Secretary of the Provincial Synod of Canada from 1862 to 1877. From 1864 to 1866, he served as Curate of St. Matthew's Church in Quebec, then as Rector from 1866 to 1885. In 1882, he was elected Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Provincial Synod of Canada at Montreal, then was re-elected in 1883. He was consecrated Bishop of Niagara in 1885, and translated to the See of Ottawa in 1896. In 1904, he was appointed to the Episcopal Canonry of Gerizim, in the Cathedral Collegiate Church of St. George the Martyr, Jerusalem. In 1909, he was elected by the House of Bishops of the Province of Canada, in Toronto, to the office of the President of the House and became Metropolitan of Canada and Archbishop of Ottawa. He also became Metropolitan of Ontario in 1912. In 1914, he resigned, and passed away in La Jolla, California in 1919.

He received a few honourary degrees over his life time, including: D.D. (1885), University of Bishops' College; D.C.L. (1885), University of Trinity College, Toronto; and D.D. (1910), University of King's College, Windsor, Nova Scotia.