George Upfold was the first Episcopal

Episcopal Church (United States)

The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...

 Bishop of Indiana

Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, formerly known as the Episcopal Diocese of Indiana, is a diocese in Province V of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It encompasses the southern two-thirds of the state of Indiana. Its see is in Indianapolis, Indiana at Christ Church...

 after the diocese's division from the Missionary Diocese of the Northwest. He is officially styled, though, as II bishop of Indiana since missionary bishop Jackson Kemper

Jackson Kemper

Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...

 is styled I bishop of Indiana.

Early life

Upfold was born in Shenely Green, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, and emigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of six. The family settled in Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

. He earned his bachelor's degree from Union College

Union College

Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...

 in 1814. Initially intending to enter the medical profession, he earned a medical doctorate

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 from the College of Physicians and Surgeons

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, often known as P&S, is a graduate school of Columbia University that is located on the health sciences campus in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in 1816. Two years later, Upfold abandoned his medical career took up theology. He was assigned to be deacon at Trinity Church in Lansingburg, New York in October 1818. While there, he was ordained a priest on July 13, 1820. He was appointed rector of Church of St. Luke in the Fields, New York, about 1823. Upfold was then elected rector of St. Thomas's Church, New York, until 1831 when he moved to Pennsylvania to become the rector of Trinity Church

Trinity Church, Pittsburgh

Trinity Church is an Episcopal Church and an Anglican Church in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The present Gothic church, the third structure to hold the congregation, was completed in 1872 on the site of a hilltop cemetery...

 in Pittsburgh. He remained at Trinty until 1849.

Bishop of Indiana

In December 1849, Upfold was elected Bishop of Indiana. He was the 50th bishop in the ECUSA, and was consecrated on December 16, 1849 by Bishops Benjamin Bosworth Smith

Benjamin Bosworth Smith

Benjamin Bosworth Smith was an American Protestant Episcopal bishop. He was born at Bristol, R. I., and graduated at Brown University in 1816. The following year he was ordained, beginning his ministry at Marblehead, Mass. He held several pastoral charges and was for a time editor of the...

, Charles Pettit McIlvaine

Charles Pettit McIlvaine

Charles Pettit McIlvaine was an Episcopalian bishop, author, educator and twice Chaplain of the United States Senate.-Early life and family:...

, and Jackson Kemper

Jackson Kemper

Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...

. While bishop, Upfold also served as rector for St. John's Church

St. John's Episcopal Church (Lafayette, Indiana)

Founded by Parson Samuel R. Johnson, early services were held beginning in 1836-37 in the counting room of Thomas Benbridge. Benbridge had an accounting office. The first building dedicated on 30 Dec 1838 on Missouri St. A new building was built in 1858 on the Northwest corner of Sixth and Ferry. ...

 in Lafayette, Indiana

Lafayette, Indiana

Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...

 and Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis

Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest religious building in continuous use in Indianapolis.- History :...

 in Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. By 1855, the Diocese of Indiana had built is status and stability to the point that it could financially support the office of bishop, allowing Upfold to concentrate only on his duties as bishop. Upfold received a LL.D. degree from the Western University of Pennsylvania in 1856. In 1857 he moved the seat of the Diocese to Indianapolis where he remained in office until 1872. He served as the sole bishop until 1865 when, crippled by gout

Gout

Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...

, he arranged for the election of a coadjutor bishop

Coadjutor bishop

A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...

.

He died in 1872 and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery

Crown Hill Cemetery

Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, is the third largest non-governmental cemetery in the United States at . It contains of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest...

, Indianapolis.

Family

Upfold married Sarah Sophia Graves in 1817. They had two daughters, Sophia Bicker Upfold, who later married Joseph J. Bingham, editor of the Indiana Daily Sentinel; and Emily L. Upfold, who became the librarian of the Diocese of Indiana.