Reverend William Stephen
Rainsford
Male
United States of America
1850-10-30
Dublin, Ireland
1933-12-17
New York, United States of America
He was born in Dublin to Marcus Rainsford, who was a chaplain in a hospital for the blind. He attended Cambridge University. He spent time in the south of France, suspending his studies for health reasons. When he left France he led a group of 800 people emigrating from the London slums to western Canada. He became a curate at the Parish of St. Giles in Norwich in England, and after four years accepted an offer to preach in New York for four months. In 1878 he took a position at St. James's Cathedral in Toronto.[2]
In May 1882, the vestry of St. George's Church, which included J. Pierpont Morgan, offered the post of rector to Rainsford; several members of the vestry had heard Rainsford preach when he was in New York. The church was under some stress, because of changes in the local population and a substantial debt of $35,000. After some negotiations he accepted. Rainsford is reported to have said that after a month of his sermons seven of the fourteen families still attending the church had left, but after that point the church's membership grew.[2]
He married Emily Alma Green in London in 1878, and they had three sons: Lawrence, Ralph Stewart, and Kerr. His wife died in 1923, and he remarried, to Harriette Rogers.[2]
.jpg "Source: Alex Nieuwland")
1881 - 1881
0
5
0
Poule
Raynald D’Arcy Gamble 1 *
Reverend William Stephen Rainsford
14-12
6-2
Poule
William Henry Young 1 *
Reverend William Stephen Rainsford
6-2
6-0
Poule
Alexander Galt 1 *
Reverend William Stephen Rainsford
6-0
6-1
Poule
Isidore Frederick Hellmuth 1 *
Reverend William Stephen Rainsford
6-3
6-0
Poule
Harold Dudley (Harry) Gamble 1 *
Reverend William Stephen Rainsford
6-0
6-1