author
John Philip Gell
1816–1898
A nineteenth-century Anglican clergyman whose life stretched from English parish work to colonial Tasmania, he is remembered for his learning, strong character, and close ties to the Franklin family.
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About the author
John Philip Gell was born in Matlock, Derbyshire, on March 10, 1816, the eldest son of the Rev. Philip Gell. Sources from the Australian Dictionary of Biography describe him as educated at Rugby under Thomas Arnold and later at Trinity College, Cambridge, before entering the Church of England.
In 1840 he went to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) to become principal of the Church of England collegiate institution that developed into Christ College. During his years in Tasmania he became part of the circle around Sir John Franklin, and he later married Franklin's daughter, Eleanor Isabella Franklin. He eventually returned to England, where he served as vicar of St John's, Notting Hill, and later as rector of Buxted in Sussex.
Gell died in London on March 12, 1898. Although he is not widely known today as a literary figure, his life links Victorian religion, education, and colonial history in a way that still makes him an interesting historical voice.