Thomas Bradbury Chandler was an influential 18th-century American priest and author. Born in Woodstock, Connecticut, in 1726, he received his education at Yale College before being ordained in England in 1751. He played a vital role in the development of the Anglican tradition in America, serving as a rector in New Jersey and acting as a bursar for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. His efforts were central to the formation of the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Life and ministry
After his ordination, Chandler served as the rector of St. John's in Elizabeth, New Jersey. During the American Revolutionary War, he moved to England, where he supported the British cause through various pamphlets. He eventually returned to New Jersey in 1785. Throughout his career, he was a prominent figure in religious circles, publishing several appeals in New York and advocating for the establishment of a North American episcopate.
Legacy and veneration
Chandler is recognized as a founding figure of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He died in 1790 and was laid to rest in the churchyard of St. John's. Within the Anglican tradition, he is commemorated as a saint, with his feast day observed on August 17.