Bishop King is now honoured throughout the Church of England on 8th March.
Edward King was born in 1829 and in 1885 became the sixtieth Bishop of Lincoln. He was a scholar and high churchman but is best remembered as a lover of people no matter what their station in life. King began his ministry as an assistant curate at Wheatley, Oxfordshire.
The nearby Theological College at Cuddesdon had recently opened and King became its chaplain and later Principal and Vicar of Cuddesdon. He was also awarded a Professorship in Pastoral Theology in the University of Oxford. In January 1885 Edward King was asked to become Bishop of Lincoln in succession to Bishop Wordsworth. The new Bishop had said that he wanted to be the Bishop of the poor and he soon took over the onerous task of preparing prisoners in Lincoln Prison for execution.
He said that his happiest times were when confirming in country parishes and it was Bishop King who transferred the official residence of the Bishops from Riseholme to Lincoln so that he was more accessible to the clergy. King was a great advocate of Retreats and Quiet Days for clergy and laity alike and he came to be recognised as a true man of God. Many believed they had a Saint amongst them.
Unfortunately he had enemies and King's name will always be remembered in connection with his trial in 1890 before Archbishop Benson's court. On 4 December 1887 Bishop King celebrated Holy Communion at St. Peter at Gowt's Church, Lincoln. It was customary in that church to have lighted candles on the altar and the Bishop faced eastwards away from the congregation. At the Offertory he mixed water with the wine. At the absolution and the concluding blessing the Bishop faced the congregation and made the sign of the cross with upraised hand.
Among the congregation was one Ernest de Lacy Read, a solicitor and churchwarden from Cleethorpes. With two parishioners, Read petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury asking that Bishop King be brought to trial for ritual offences, the mixing of water with the wine, the use of the eastward position, the singing of the Agnus Dei, the use of candles when not needed for the giving of light, and the making of the sign of the cross at the absolution and benediction.
The trial began on 4 February 1890 before the Archbishop of Canterbury and five Bishops. The proceedings lasted for three weeks, after which the Archbishop reserved judgment. After much consultation the judgement was delivered on 21 November 1890 and was in favour of the Bishop with the exception of the mixing of the water and wine during the service, and it was ordered that the use of the sign of the cross at the absolution and benediction should be discontinued. Although the eastward position might be used, care should be taken that the 'manual acts' of consecration should be witnessed by the congregation.
The result of the trial was to strengthen the affection in which Edward King was held and to mark his eightieth birthday money was subscribed to build anew church in Grimsby. Early in 1910 his health began to decline and shortly after taking the Sacrament Bishop King died on 8 March 1910.
From Lincolnshire People. FURTHER READING: Newton, J. A. Search for a Saint: Edward King (1977); Chadwick, W. Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln 1885-1910 (1968)