Henry Reginald Courtenay
27 December 1741 -
9 June 1803

Family

Henry Courtenay was the eldest surviving son of Henry Reginald Courtenay, M.P., and Catherine Bathurst. He married Elizabeth Howard in 1774, by whom he had two sons and four daughters.

Education

He was educated at Westminster, from where he proceeded in 1759 to Christ Church, Oxford. He took his B.A. in 1763, his M.A. in 1766, and a D.C.L. in 1774.

Church Appointments and Service

In 1773 the rectory of Lee, Kent, and a prebendary at Rochester Cathedral were conferred upon him. In the following year he exchanged the prebendal stall at Rochester for the rectory of St. George, Hanover Square. However, he remained one of the prebendaries of Exeter from 1772 until 1794, and once again held a prebend at Rochester from 1783 to 1789. On 11 May 1794 he was consecrated Bishop of Bristol, from which see he was translated in March 1797 to Exeter. He held the bishopric of Exeter simultaneously with the archdeaconry of Exeter and the rectory of St. George.

Noteworthy Publications

His Charge to the clergy of Bristol was published in 1796, and his Charge to the clergy of Exeter was published in 1799.

Footnote

"Courtenay was stiff and reserved in social intercourse, but his letters were frank and unreserved." -- DNB 4: 1262-63