Algernon Markham


Algernon Augustus Markham was an Anglican bishop, the fifth Bishop of Grantham.

Family and education

Markham was the fourth son of Charles Markham, Rector of Saxby All Saints, and of Margaret née Barton, whose family owned nearby Saxby Hall and the lordship of the manor. Algernon was born at his father's rectory, and educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was admitted a pensioner and matriculated at Michaelmas 1888, gained his Bachelor of Arts in 1891 and Cambridge Master of Arts in 1895. He married Winifred née Barne and they had one son and four daughters.

Presbyteral career

Ordained a deacon on 12 June 1892 and a priest on 11 June 1893,, his first post was as a curate in Warrington. From 1899 he was Vicar of St Jude's, Liverpool. In 1908, he married and moved to be Vicar of Grimsby, rising in time to be a Canon and Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral from 1911 and Rural Dean of Grimsby and Cleethorpes from 1913. He moved to become Vicar of Grantham in 1928, and again served as Rural Dean. From 1933, he was rector of St Andrew and St Mary's Church, Stoke Rochford with Easton, and he became, additionally, the incumbent of Stamford at the end of 1936, before his appointment to the episcopate.

Episcopal career

His appointment to become Bishop of Grantham was announced on 12 November 1937 — he succeeded Arthur Greaves, who was translated to the diocese's other suffragan see, Grimsby. He took up the post with his consecration as a bishop on St Andrew's Day by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul's Cathedral. As Bishop suffragan of Grantham, he was also appointed honorary chaplain to the diocesan Bishop of Lincoln. He died in office at his rectory in Stoke.