William Inge (priest) - Life

Life

He was born at Crayke, Yorkshire, England. His father was William Inge (a provost at Worcester College, Oxford) and his mother Susanna (Churton) Inge. His maternal grandfather was the archdeacon of Cleveland. Inge was educated at Eton College, where he was a King's Scholar and Newcastle Scholar, and at King's College, Cambridge, where he won a number of prizes as well as taking firsts in both parts of the classical tripos. He was a tutor at Hertford College, Oxford starting in 1888, which was the year he was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England.

In 1907, he became a professor of divinity at Jesus College, Cambridge, holding the Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity chair. In 1911, was chosen by Prime Minister Asquith to be the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He served as president of the Aristotelian Society at Cambridge from 1920 to 1921. Inge then became a columnist for the Evening Standard, a position he would hold until 1946—a period of 25 years. Inge was also a trustee of London's National Portrait Gallery from 1921 until 1951. He had retired from the Church in 1934.

He held Honorary Doctorates of Divinity from Oxford & Aberdeen Univeristites, an Hon. Doctorate of Literature from both Durham and Sheffield Universities, an Hon. LL.D., from both Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, and was a Honorary fellow of Kings and Jesus Colleges, Cambridge and of Hertford College, Oxford. He was a Fellow of the British Academy. (See title page of Christian Ethics & Modern Problems).