Cecil Wilson (bishop of Bunbury)

Wilson was born at Canonbury in London,[2] the youngest son of stockbroker Alexander Wilson and his wife Caroline (née Pitman).[3][4][5] The family moved from Islington to Beckenham in Kent in 1873 and Wilson, like two of his older brothers, was educated at Tonbridge School. He played cricket in the school XI between 1877 and 1879, captaining the team in his final year at school, before going up to Jesus College, Cambridge.[3][4][6] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in divinity in 1883 and Master of Arts in 1886.[7]

On 1 February 1899, Wilson married Alice Ethel Julius, the second daughter of Bishop Julius, at ChristChurch Cathedral. The couple had two daughters.[3][5][8]

Despite his success as a school cricketer, Wilson did not play for Cambridge University Cricket Club―his Wisden obituary says that he was unable to accept an offered Blue in 1883 "because of an engagement to travel abroad"[6]―although he played some cricket for university sides and captained Jesus College in 1882.[3] He played club cricket for Beckenham and made his first-class cricket debut for Kent County Cricket Club in 1882 whilst still at Cambridge, playing in seven top-level matches during the season and scoring 299 runs. He scored 62 not out in his second match for the county, a County Championship fixture against Sussex, made scores of 57 and 50 against the touring Australians during Canterbury Cricket Week, and was awarded his county cap.[3][6][9]

Primarily a batsman, Wilson played for Kent in each of the following five seasons before returning to play his final two matches for the county in 1890. He made 28 appearances for Kent, as well as playing two first-class matches for I Zingari and three for MCC.[2][3] A right-handed batsman, Wilson was considered a "fine batsman" who Wisden said "drove hard and scored rapidly when set".[6] He scored a total of 1,193 runs in first-class matches, including one century,[10] a score of 127 made against Yorkshire at Canterbury in 1886.[3] He took five wickets with his right-arm spin bowling[3][10] and was considered a fine fielder who "earned a reputation for fast, accurate returns to the wicket-keeper".[6]

Wilson's brother, Leslie Wilson, also played first-class cricket for Kent, making 105 top-level appearances for the side between 1883 and 1897.[6][11]

Wilson was ordained by Harold Browne, Bishop of Winchester, as a deacon in 1886, and as a priest the following year. He was in charge of St Faith's mission, in the parish of Portsea, Portsmouth, until 1891.[12] Between 1891 and 1894, he held the incumbency at St John's Moordown, Bournemouth.[5]

In 1894, Wilson was chosen to succeed John Selwyn as Bishop of Melanesia. He left England for New Zealand in April, and was consecrated at St Mary's Cathedral, Auckland, on 11 June 1894.[5] He launched the fifth Southern Cross mission ship in 1903,[1] and advocated for the movement of the centre of Anglican life in Melanesia to the Solomon Islands from Norfolk Island.

Unwilling, however, to himself move to the Solomons, in 1911 he was appointed rector of St Andrew's Church, Walkerville and Archdeacon of Adelaide, South Australia,[13] which posts he held until his Bunbury appointment in 1918.

Wilson is listed in the Calendar of Saints of the Church of the Province of Melanesia.

Wilson died at Perth, Western Australia in 1941 at the age of 80.[10]

• Wilson, Cecil (1932). The Wake of the Southern Cross: Work and Adventure in the South Seas. London: John Murray.

• Historical documents by Wilson from Project Canterbury
• Melanesian Mission Occasional Paper announcing Wilson's selection as Bishop, 1894.
• The Wake of the Southern Cross: Work and Adventures in the South Seas, by Cecil Wilson 1932.
• Kings Candlesticks - Family Trees
• Cecil Wilson at ESPNcricinfo