Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/375

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Charteris
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Chase

moral philosophy, natural philosophy, and logic, and graduated B.A. in 1852 and M.A. in 1853.

Entering the Church of Scotland ministry, he was presented in 1858 to the parish of St. Quivox, Ayrshire, but in the following year became minister of New Abbey parish in Galloway, of which James Hamilton, his maternal uncle, had been minister from 1813 to 1858. While there he wrote the biography of James Robertson (1803-1860) [q. v.], founder of the endowment scheme of the Church of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1863; abridged as 'A Faithful Churchman,' in 'Church of Scotland Guild Library' series, 1897). In 1863 he succeeded John Caird [q. v. Suppl. I] as minister of Park Church, Glasgow, where his preaching and his work among the young attracted attention.

After some time spent abroad on account of ill-health, he became, in 1868, professor of biblical criticism in Edinburgh University and retained the post till 1898. He was a conservative theologian, his most notable theological work being 'Canonicity : a Collection of Early Testimonies to the Canonical Books of the New Testament' (Edinburgh, 1880). The book, which is based on Kirchhofer's 'Quellensammlung,' was commended by Hilgenfeld, Godet, and Professor Sanday. He also published 'The New Testament Scriptures : their Claims, History, and Authority' (Croall lecture, 1882), and ' The Church of Christ : its Life and Work' (Baird lecture, 1887, published 1905).

Charteris was mainly responsible for a marked revival of practical Christian effort within the Church of Scotland. He was the founder, and from 1871 to 1894 convener, of the general assembly's Christian life and work committee, which inaugurated many new forms of Christian enterprise. Under his guidance there were originated the Young Men's Guild and the Young Women's Guild. He also revived the order of deaconesses, took a lead in founding at Edinburgh the Deaconess Institution and Training Home, and the Deaconess Hospital. He started (January 1879), and for many years edited, 'Life and Work,' the monthly magazine of the Church of Scotland, which has now an average circulation of 120,000 copies. He also originated and successfully promoted the scheme of 'Advance' in connection with the foreign missions of his church, and rendered conspicuous service as vice-convener of the general assembly's committee for the abolition of patronage and of the endowment committee. He was moderator of the general assembly in 1892. Charteris was one of the royal chaplains in Scotland from 1870. From Edinburgh University he received the hon. degrees of D.D. (1868) and LL.D. (1898). After some years of ill-health he died on 24 April 1908 at his residence in Edinburgh, and was buried at Wamphray. In 1863 he married Catherine Morice, daughter of Sir Alexander Anderson, Aberdeen; she survived him without issue. His portrait, painted by J. H. Lorimer, B.S.A., was presented to the Church of Scotland, and now hangs in the offices of the church, 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh.

[Scotsman, 25 April 1908; Scottish Review (weekly), 30 April 1908; My Life, by Very Rev. William Mair, D.D., 1911, pp. 134-5, 214, 281, 304; private information; personal knowledge. A biography by the Hon. and Rev. Arthur Gordon is in preparation.]

W. F. G.


CHASE, DRUMMOND PERCY (1820–1902), last principal of St. Mary Hall, Oxford, born on 14 Sept. 1820 at Château de Saulruit, near St. Omer, was second son of John Woodford Chase of Cosgrave, Northamptonshire. Matriculating at Pembroke College, Oxford on 15 Feb. 1839, he became scholar of Oriel College on 22 May 1839, and was one of four who obtained first-class honours in classics in Michaelmas term, 1841. He graduated B.A. on 25 Nov. 1841, proceeding M.A. on 14 June 1844 and D.D. in 1880, and was ordained deacon in 1844 and priest in 1849. Elected fellow of Oriel College on 1 April 1842, just when the question of John Henry Newman's relation to the Anglican church was at its acutest phase, he retained his fellowship till his death, sixty years afterwards. He was tutor of Oriel from 1847 to 1849 and again from 1860 to 1866. He was senior proctor of the University in 1853, and printed his Latin speech on going out of office on 26 April 1854. He was a select preacher before the university in 1860, and was vicar of St. Mary's, Oxford, from 1855 to 1863 and again from 1876 to 1878.

When he began his duties as college tutor, he took the unusual step of printing the substance of his principal course of lectures for the use of his pupils and other Oxford passmen. This was an edition, with translation and notes, of Aristotle's 'Nicomachean Ethics' (1847; 4th edit. 1877). The translation has been twice reprinted alone, in 1890 and again in 1906. He also issued 'A First Logic Book' in 1876, and 'An Analysis of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans' in 1886.

In 1848 Chase became vice-principal of