Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Rigaud, Stephen Jordan

664865Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 48 — Rigaud, Stephen Jordan1896Charles Alexander Harris

RIGAUD, STEPHEN JORDAN (1816–1859), bishop of Antigua, eldest son of Stephen Peter Rigaud [q. v.], was born at Westminster on 27 March 1816, and educated at Greenwich. He matriculated from Exeter College, Oxford, on 23 Jan. 1834, graduating B.A. 1841, M.A. 1842, and D.D. 1854. He took a double first in 1838, and was elected fellow of his college on 30 June, and appointed mathematical lecturer in 1840. He was ordained deacon in 1840 and priest in 1841. In the same year he resigned his fellowship on his marriage, but was appointed tutor of the college in 1842.

In September 1846 Rigaud, who had formed a great friendship with Dean Liddell, went to Westminster School as Liddell's senior assistant master. Rigaud's house at the school still bears his name. While he lived in London he was appointed domestic chaplain to the Duke of Cambridge, and in 1850 he was elected head master of Queen Elizabeth's school, Ipswich. In 1856 he was select preacher at St. Mary's, Oxford. In 1858 he was chosen bishop of Antigua, was consecrated on 2 Feb. at Lambeth Palace, and went out to his diocese almost immediately. He began active work with the inspection of all the schools in Antigua; on 11 July he held his first confirmation at St. John's, and on the 15th started on a tour of his diocese, going first to Tortola and then visiting each island in turn. On 17 May 1859 he died of yellow fever.

Rigaud married, on 6 July 1841, Lucy, only daughter of Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy of Pall Mall, London.

He edited his father's ‘Correspondence of Scientific Men.’ London, 1841, and was author of: 1. ‘A Defence of Halley, and other Dissertations,’ London, 8vo, 1844. 2. ‘Sermons on the Lord's Prayer,’ London, 1852. 3. ‘The Inspiration of the Holy Scripture,’ two sermons, Oxford, 1856. His journal, published in the ‘Colonial Church Chronicle,’ vol. xiii. (1859), contains excellent descriptions of some of the less known West Indian Islands.

[Gent. Mag. 1859, ii. 83; Testimonials in favour of Stephen Jordan Rigaud: a letter addressed to the Electors of Rugby School, London, 1849, 8vo; Foster's Alumni Oxonienses; Clergy List, 1858; Colonial Church Chronicle, 1858 and 1859; Boase's Reg. Exeter Coll. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), p. 180; Brit. Mus. Libr. Cat.; Agnew's Protestant Exiles from France; Notes and Queries, 5th ser. xii. 495.]

C. A. H.