He was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England in 1864 and went on to serve his college as a tutor, bursar and chaplain.

[3] Two years after his birth, his father was appointed perpetual curate of Frome, Somerset, and it was there that he spent the rest of his childhood.

[3] He graduated from the University of Oxford with a first class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree 1858.

[5] However, in 1863, he was elected to a fellow of his alma mater Worcester College and so he left London to return to the University of Oxford.

[3][1] His religious views were latitudinarian, rather than the Tractarianism that flourished at Oxford nor the anti-ritualist intolerance that sprung up against it.

[6] In addition to being a classical tutor, he held a number of college offices: he became dean of chapel in 1865, the vice-provost in 1866, and junior bursar in 1870.