Bass, Edward
(Nov. 23, 1726-Sept. 10, 1803). First Bishop of Massachusetts. He was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1744. After graduation, Bass remained at Harvard for theological studies, but moved from the Congregational Church to the Episcopal Church. He went to England and was ordained deacon on May 17, 1752, and priest on May 24, 1752. He became a missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), and served at St. Paul's Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts. Bass supported the colonists' cause during the American Revolution. This support for the American Revolution caused the SPG to dismiss him. On May 7, 1797, he was consecrated bishop. He also exercised episcopal functions in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. He died in Newburyport.
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.