George Body

George Body (1840–1911) was an English canon who worked in Durham conducting mission work with the miners. He resisted the idea of women taking positions in the Anglican church. Early life and education Body, born at Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devonshire, on 7 January 1840, was son of Josiah Body, surgeon, by his wife Mary Snell. He was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, from 1849 to 1857, and subsequently entered St. Augustine's Missionary College, Canterbury. But his intention of undertaking missionary work abroad had to be abandoned owing to ill-health. In 1859 he matriculated from St John's College, Cambridge University, and graduated B.A. in 1862, proceeding M.A. in 1876. Subsequently, he received from Durham University the degree of M.A. ad eundem (1884) and that of hon. D.D. (1885). Career as clergyman Ordained deacon in 1863 and priest the following year, he served successively the curacies of St James, Wednesbury (1863–5), of Sedgeley (1865–7), and of Christ Church, Wolverhampton (1867–70). In these places he sought to bring the teaching of the tractarian movement home to the working classes and rapidly made a reputation as a mission preacher. Nominated rector of Kirby Misperton, Yorkshire, in 1870, he took an active part in the parochial mission movement. In 1883 he was appointed 'canon-missioner' of Durham by J. B. Lightfoot, bishop of the diocese, and for twenty-eight years carried on fruitful mission work among the Durham miners. Lightfoot died unexpectedly in 1889 and he had encouraged Emily Marshall to develop her plans to develop the Bishop's idea of an Anglican female diaconate and of returning the idea of a Third Order of Saint Francis made up of men and women. Body invited Marshall and four others to be church workers as part of the League of St Cuthbert in 1891. Body took her idea and it became known as "Canon Body's Third Order". He forbade from her of talking about the order, but despite his plans, her idea of an order took off in Guiana and Barbados and Marshall was known as the founder.