▶Date of birth:  11 July 1814        Place of birth:  Hull

▶Father:  John Healey Bromby     Mother:

▶Spouse(s):  Mary Ann Bodley    Date(s) of marriage:   9 July 1839    Place(s) of marriage: Brighton

▶Occupation: Clergyman (Anglican); College principal

▶Lifestory: Charles Henry Bromby was active as a clergyman and educationalist in Cheltenham and elsewhere before he was appointed Bishop of Tasmania. He was born in Hull in 1814, the second son of the Revd. John Healey Bromby, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Hull, and his wife Jane (née Amys). He attended Uppingham School and matriculated at St John’s College, Cambridge in 1833, Scholar and Exhibitioner 1834, BA 1837, MA 1840. He took holy orders and was ordained Deacon (Lichfield) in 1838, and Priest (York) in 1839. He was licensed Curate of Chesterfield 1838-9.

In 1839 he married Mary Ann, eldest daughter of William Hulme Bodley MD, of Brighton. He served as Curate of Christ Church, Hull 1839-40 (where he was Chaplain of the General Infirmary), and was appointed Headmaster of the Stepney Proprietary School in 1841-3.

However, in 1843 he removed to Cheltenham, as Perpetual Curate of St Paul’s, and from 1847 as Principal of Cheltenham Training College, and retained both posts until 1864; he was also one of the founders of Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and took an active interest in many of the organisations in the town. From 1844 until 1845 he lived at Laurel Lodge on Wellington Square; from 1846 until 1849 he resided at 10 Pittville Lawn (now 53 Pittville Lawn).

At this point in his career he took a large and significant step abroad, and In 1864 was appointed Bishop of Tasmania (when he also received the degree of DD), where he was best known for re-organising the finances of the Tasmanian Church on its disestablishment; he was the last nominee by the Crown for a colonial see. He remained there, a popular clergyman, until he resigned in 1882, after which he served as Assistant Bishop of Lichfield 1882-91 (he also served as Rector of Shrawardine with Montford, Shropshire 1882-7, Master of St John’s Hospital, Lichfield 1887-91), and Assistant Bishop of Bath and Wells 1891-7.

Bromby latterly lived at All Saints’ Vicarage, Clifton, where his son Henry Bodley Bromby was Vicar, and where he died in 1907, at the age of ninety-two. His wealth at death was sworn at just over £5,375.

▶Moved to Pittville from:   Stepney     Moved from Pittville to: Elsewhere in Cheltenham

▶Date of death:   14 April 1907     Place of death: All Saints’ Vicarsage, Clifton, Bristol

▶Date of burial:         Place of burial:

▶Notes: Australian Biographical Dictionary       ID: 3774

Contributor(s):  John Simpson/Alan Munden