Nathanael Burwash

Rev. Nathanael Burwash was born in St. Andrews East, Lower Canada, on 25 July 1839, the eldest son of the devout Methodists Adam Burwash and Anne Taylor.^[1] He was raised on a farm in Baltimore, Canada (ahamlet near Cobourg), to which his family moved in 1844.^[2] In 1859 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Victoria College which was then located in Cobourg, Ontario, and was ordained by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1864.^[3] He later studied at Yale College and the Garrett Biblical Institute.^[4]

He married Margaret Proctor on 25 December 1868 in Sylvan, Ontario.^[3] They had four daughters and eight sons together.^[3]

In 1866, he was appointed professor of natural history and geology at Victoria College.^{[citation needed]} In 1873 he became dean of theology there, and in 1887, he became chancellor and president of Victoria University, the new name of Victoria College, while retaining the deanship until 1900.^[5] He participated in the discussions which led to Victoria College's relocation from Cobourg to Toronto and its federation with the University of Toronto.^[1] He retired the university chancellorship and presidency in 1913, but continued to teach theology until his death.^[6]

He was elected president of the Methodist Church's Bay of Quinte conference in 1989^[3] and was a participant at each general conference of the Methodist Church from 1874 to 1894. He wrote several books,^{[citation needed]} including a biography of Egerton Ryerson.^[7]

Burwash Hall was named in his honour.^[8] Burwash died on 30 March 1918 in Toronto, Ontario, and was buried in Baltimore.^[3]

• Burwash, N. Wesley's doctrinal standards, published by W. Briggs and C.W. Coates circa 1881.
• Burwash, N. The history of Victoria College Toronto : Victoria College Press, 1927. (published after Burwash's death) xviii, 571 p., [7] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 24 cm.
• Burwash, N. and Reynar, A. H. (Alfred Henry). Egerton Ryerson Parkman ed. Toronto : Morang, 1906. 303 p. : port. ; 23 cm.