Right Revd. Sir Lovelace Tomlinson Stamer

STAMER, Right Revd. Sir Lovelace Tomlinson (1829-1908), Anglican bishop, Stoke upon Trent. 

Lovelace Tomlinson Stamer was born at Ingram's Lodgings, York, on 18 October 1829, the son of Sir Lovelace Stamer, 2 baronet, and Caroline nee Tomlinson. 

He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge, B.A. 1853, M.A. 1856, D.D. 1888. He was ordained deacon in 1853 and served as curate at Clay Cross, Derbyshire 1853-4 and at Turvey, Bedfordshire 1854-5.

He was ordained priest in 1855 and became curate-in-charge at Long Melford, Suffolk, 1855-7, then succeeded his uncle, J. W. Tomlinson, as rector of Stoke upon Trent in January 1858, retaining this position for the next 34 years. 

 

He was appointed rural dean of Stoke upon Trent in 1858, prebendary of Longdon in Lichfield cathedral in 1875 and archdeacon of Stoke upon Trent in1877. He resigned his posts of rural dean and archdeacon on his consecration, on 24 February 1888, as suffragan bishop of Shrewsbury. In 1892 he became vicar of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury and rector of Edgmond 1896-1905. He resigned the Edgmond living and the bishopric in 1905 and retired to Halingdene, Penkridge, Staffs. 

On 7th November 1884 the Bishop of Lichfield visited the new Hartshill cemetery, between Hartshill and Penkhull, provided by the Corporation of Stoke, and performed the rite of consecration of the portion allotted to the members of the Church of England, as Archdeacon Lovelace Tomlinson Stamer accompanied him.

He married Ellen Isabel, only daughter of Joseph Dent of Ribston Hall, Yorks, on 16th 
April 1857 and had five sons and three daughters He became 3 baronet on the death 
of his father on 5 March 1860. 

On his appointment as rector of Stoke upon Trent in 1858 he began the establishment of Sunday schools in Cliffe Vale, London Road, Mount Pleasant and the Mount estate. 

He allowed nonconformists to serve as pupil teachers in his schools. He was chairman of the Stoke upon Trent School Board from 1871 to1888. He was largely responsible for the Stoke Rectory Act of 1889 by which the patronage and endowment  of Stoke upon Trent rectory passed from his mother's family to the bishop of Lichfield, and which provided additional endowments for St. John's church, Hanley, St. John's Longton, Christ Church, Fenton, and other rural parish churches. 

In 1858 he introduced memorial tiles into Stoke upon Trent parish church and in 1888 he gave a new reredos to the church. (reredos - ornamental screen covering the wall at the back of an altar. [Anglo-French: related to arrears, dos back])

Lovelace Tomlinson Stamer was a vice president of the North Staffs. Infirmary committee and a trustee for nearly 50 years. He founded the Staffs. Institution for Nurses and supported the 
building of the nurses' home in Stoke in 1876. 

He helped to organise the fund in relief of the widows and orphans of colliers killed in the Talke-o'-the-Hill explosion in 1866. 

In 1870 he originated and for the next 38 years served as chairman of the North Staffs. 
Coal and Ironstone Workers' Permanent Relief Society. He supported the North Staffs. Discharged Prisoners Aid Society and helped to found an industrial home for discharged female prisoners and friendless women. 

He died at his home near Penkridge on 29 October 1908. 

SOURCES: DNB; F. D. How, Hishop Sir Lovelace T. Stamer; VCH viii.; People of the Potteries