In the previous eight editions of From the Field, we shared brief histories of some of the Bishops of Georgia. Last week we share the story of the Rt. Rev. Middleton Stuart Barnwell, fifth Bishop of Georgia. The series concludes with Bishop Barnwell's Great Uncle, the First Bishop of Georgia.
 

Born in Beaufort, South Carolina to southern aristocracy, Elliott attended Harvard before coming back to study closer to home and graduate from South Carolina College in 1825. He practiced law in Charleston. Following a conversion experience on hearing a Presbyterian evangelist preach at his Episcopal Church, Elliott studied for holy orders (The story of his conversion is online here). He was ordained to the priesthood in 1836, having been ordained a deacon the previous year.

He taught religion at South Carolina College from 1835-1841 when he was consecrated Bishop of Georgia, becoming through that post also the first Rector of St. John's, Savannah. He first married his cousin, Mary Gibbes Barnwell, daughter of Col. Robert W. Barnwell in 1828. Following her death, he married another cousin, Charlotte Bull Barnwell. Charlotte was the daughter of John G. Barnwell and granddaughter of Gen. John Barnwell and of General Stephen Bull, of the Revolutionary army.

Elliott was a strong proponent of education, especially the education of women. As Bishop he founded the girl's school, Montpelier Institute, at great personal financial cost (The story of the Montpelier Institute and how it bankrupted the Bishop is online here). Together with Bishops Polk and Otey, he also founded The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. The first and only Presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America believed strongly in the southern cause even though he did not see slavery as a positive good but something God was using to bring the enslaved Africans to Christ which would pass away in time. His 1864 Address to convention shares his travels to the war front to visit troops. Among his children was the novelist Sarah Barnwell Elliott (1848-1928) and the Rt. Rev. Robert Woodward Barnwell Elliott (1840-1887), missionary bishop to West Texas.

He died suddenly on December 21, 1866 just on returning home from an episcopal visitation. He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah (His grave there is pictured below). He was succeeded as Bishop of Georgia by John Watrous Beckwith.