Walter Kerr Hamilton

Walter Kerr Hamilton (16 November 1808 – 1 August 1869) was a Church of England priest, Bishop of Salisbury from 1854 until his death.

The Right Reverend Walter Kerr Hamilton
Bishop of Salisbury
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Salisbury
In office	1854–1869
Predecessor	Edward Denison
Successor	George Moberly
Orders
Ordination	2 June 1833 (deacon) 22 December 1833 (priest)
Consecration	14 May 1854
Personal details
Born	(1808-11-16)16 November 1808 London, UK
Died	1 August 1869(1869-08-01) (aged 60) Salisbury, UK
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Isabel Elizabeth Lear
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Biography

He was born on 16 November 1808, educated at Eton College, tutored by Thomas Arnold, and then attended Christ Church, University of Oxford, where he took a first class degree in Greats. He was elected to a Fellowship at Merton College, Oxford in 1832. He was made deacon in 1833 and ordained priest in December of the same year. He was a curate at Wolvercote 1833–34, then served as curate to Edward Denison, another Fellow at Merton and vicar at the parish of St Peter-in-the-East. Upon Denison's appointment as Bishop of Salisbury in 1837, Hamilton succeeded him as vicar, remaining until 1841. He subsequently became a canon-resident of Salisbury.

Upon Denison's death on 1 August 1854, aged 60, Hamilton succeeded him as Bishop. In 1860, he founded Salisbury Theological College (now Sarum College).

His private papers are currently in the possession of the Archives of Pusey House, Oxford.

Family

Hamilton was born into an ecclesiastical family, the son of Anthony Hamilton (Archdeacon of Taunton), the nephew of William Richard Hamilton, and the grandson of Anthony Hamilton (Archdeacon of Colchester) and his wife Anne Terrick, daughter of Richard Terrick (Bishop of London).

Hamilton married Isabel Elizabeth Lear on 9 January 1845. His daughter, Eleanor Frances Hamilton, married Ernest Kingscote (9 September 1856 – 16 June 1934) in 1887.