William Cassels

William Wharton Cassels (11 March 1858 – 7 November 1925) was an Anglican missionary bishop.

Early life and education

Cassels was born in Oporto, Portugal, the sixth son of John Cassels, a merchant, and Ethelinda Cox, a distant relation of Warren Hastings. He was educated at Repton School and St John's College, Cambridge.

Work

He was ordained deacon (Rochester) on 4 June 1882 and priest on 10 June 1883. He was a curate at All Saints' South Lambeth from 1882 to 1885. A member of the famous ‘Cambridge Seven’, he joined the China Inland Mission in 1885. In 1895, he became the Bishop of Western China. One of the foremost missionaries of his time, who possessed great gifts of organisation, he understood the Chinese and was held in great veneration by them.

Family and death

Cassels married Mary Louisa Legg, daughter of Edward Legg, in Shanghai, China, in 1892. They had several children. He died on 7 November 1925 at Paoling, Western China. Mrs Cassels died eight days later.