Reverend Dr. Robert Strange, 1887-1914

Sub-Sub-Series

Scope and Contents

This sub-sub-series contains correspondence, publications, and ephemera related to Reverend Dr. Robert Strange (1857-1914), who was rector of St. James from 1887 to February 1899, when he took a leave of absence due to illness, returning from August to November 1900 before finally resigning.

Dates

Creation: 1887-1914

Creator

From the Collection: St. James Church (Wilmington, N.C.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Access to portions of this collection have been restricted by Special Collections in order to preserve the original materials and pursuant to extant statutory restrictions. Contact staff at the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History (csencah@uncw.edu) for information on access to this collection.

Biographical Note

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Reverend Dr. Robert Strange was born in Wilmington in 1857 and baptized in St. James by Reverend Robert B. Drane. Strange's mother was Caroline Wright, daughter of Dr. Thomas Henry Wright. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1879 and was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Alfred A. Watson in 1884. He became a priest in 1885 and was rector at Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh before taking the position at St. James, which he held until 1900. Strange married Elizabeth Stone Buford in 1886 and had two children, and during his tenure at St. James was given an honorary D.D. by UNC in 1894. He then went to St. Paul's in Richmond, Virginia before being elected Bishop of East Carolina in 1904, officially taking over after the death of Bishop Watson in 1905. During his career, Strange worked frequently with the local Black community and was purported to be an ally during the Wilmington Coup of 1898. Robert Strange Park in Wilmington is named after him. Strange died in August of 1914 and was buried in the church of St. James Parish.

Extent

From the Collection: 62 Containers (Contains 24 bankers boxes, 10 document boxes, 6 oversize boxes, 4 photo albums, 5 tube boxes, 7 card file boxes, and 6 flat files.)