Elected 1880, Day 1; served to 1886

The Rev. Eben Edwards Beardsley, born in Stepney, Connecticut in 1818, was an important Church historian whose publications focused particularly on the rich history of the Church in Connecticut. Beardsley attended Trinity College, Hartford, and was ordained in 1836.  From 1835 to 1848 he served as rector of St. Peter’s Church in Cheshire, Connecticut, and in 1848 he became rector of St. Thomas’ Church in New Haven, where he remained until his death in 1891.  In addition to his work in the ministry, Rev. Beardsley was the head of the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut and attended eight consecutive General Conventions as a clerical deputy, from 1868-1889.