Person:George Dunlop (5)

Rev George Kelly Dunlop
Birth: Nov. 10, 1830, Ireland
Death: Mar. 12, 1888, Las Vegas, San Miguel County, New Mexico, USA
Burial: St Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church, Las Vegas, San Miguel County, New Mexico, USA
Plot: under the Alter

Spouse: Mary Wickham Cobb Dunlop (1836 - 1919)
Children: Sophie Lewis Dunlop Moise (1861 - 1933)


Son of Robert and Margaret [Kelly] Dunlop. He was born in the county of Tyrone, Ireland.

George was educated at the Royal College of Dungannon and the Queen's College at Galway where
he graduated in 1852 [he ranked second among eight students who won classical scholarships. Upon graduation, he came to the United States and taught for two years in the academy at St. Joseph, Missouri. In December, 1854, he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Hawks of the Diocese of Missouri and for two years served in that capacity at Trinity Church in St. Charles. I 1856 he was ordained Priest,again by Bishop Hawks, and went to Lexington, Missouri, where he
remained for seven years.

On July 23, 1857, he married Miss Mary Wickham Cobb [1836-1919]. He became Temporary Rector or
Grace Church, Kirkwood, on September 25, 1864,and on May 23rd the following year, permanent rector. He held that position until 1880 when the General Convention of the Epiccopal
Church elected him to fill the vacant episcopate of Missionary Bishop of the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico.This was brought about by Bishop Robertson of Missouri who, on the way to the convention that year happened to mention that Mr Dunlop should by rights be a missionary bishop and then proceeded to recommend him to the convention. By doing so he deprived himself and his dioces of the services of one of the ablest ministers but he also helped to establish the church on a firm foundation in the vast and wild southwest territory.

On July 5, 1863, he acted as Chaplain to the a Fourth of July procession and on the following day--a Sunday--he preached in the Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe and administered Holy Communion for the first time in New Mexico to five persons besides the clergy.

For the next several years various clergymen services whever they could and in 1874 the General Convention of the Church created the Missionary District of New Mexico an Arizona. In
the six years that followed a number of Bishops were appointed, none of whom remained long because of the danger, difficulties and arduous work.

Mr. Dunlop assumed the dutied of Missionary Bishop on March 21, 1881. Nothing seemed to
daunt him, no distance too far to travel, no difficulties too great to overcome, no weather too
severe to stop him. He traveled all over New Mexico and Arizona in carts, on horsebach, and on foot in all kinds of Weather, summer and winter, in the face of Indians, a great financial
depression and practically no church facilities or property. Yet when he died sever years later
in 1888 a beautiful stone church had been built in Santa Fe, one in Albuquerque, an adobe church and rectory in Tombstone, St. Paul's Church and Rectory in Las Vegas, and building lots had been acquired in Tucson, Raton and other places.

When death came to him, of pneumonia, on March 12, 1888, exhaustion was a contributory cause. A
man of tremendous energy and capacity for work, he was in the truest sense a missionary bishop, never content to settle in one place for long, eager always to be on th move, getting a church started in one locality, then moving on to another. At the time of his election as bishop, he had outgrown Missouri. It took the great Southwest to furnish space for him to work out his aims and ambition.

Mourned by all who knew him, he was buried in St. Paul's Church in Las Vegas [under the alter].
The magnificent alter there, of white Italian marble, with columns of polished Mexican onyx, was given is his memory bu the Woman's Auxiliary of the Diocese of Missouri


married Mary Wickhab Cobb on 23 December 1857 in Lexington,
Missouri. They had at least seven children: [1] Margaret,
[2] Sophia, [3] Charles Denison, [4] Robert D, [5] Mary,
and [6] Grace.

George Kelly Dunlop (1880-1888) elected
George Kelly Dunlop was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, November 10, 1830, the son of Robert and Margaret Kelly Dunlop, both parents being of Scottish descent. He was educated at the Royal College of Dungannon and at the Queen's University at Galway from which he was graduated in 1852. He was a brilliant student, ranking second among eight students who won classical scholarships. Immediately following his graduation he came to the United States and for two years taught in the academy at St. Joseph, Missouri. In December, 1854, he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Hawks of the Diocese of Missouri and for two years served in that capacity at Trinity Church in St. Charles. In 1856 he was ordained Priest, again by Bishop Hawks, and went to Lexington, Missouri, where he remained for seven years.

On July 23, 1857, he married Miss Mary Wickham Cobb. He became Temporary Rector of Grace Church, Kirkwood, September 25, 1864, and on May 23rd of the following year, Permanent Rector. He held this position until 1880 when the General Convention of the Episcopal Church elected him to fill the vacant episcopate of Missionary Bishop of the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico. This was brought about by Bishop Robertson of Missouri who, on the way to the convention that year happened to mention that Mr. Dunlop should by rights be a missionary bishop and then proceeded to recommend him to the convention. By doing so he deprived himself and his diocese of the services of one of his ablest ministers but he also helped to establish the church on a firm foundation in that vast and wild southwest territory.

In the History of New Mexico, Volume 1, published by Pacific States Publishing Company in 1907 this statement appears, "There seems to be no doubt that the first permanent religious organization, aside from the Roman Catholic Church, in New Mexico was effected by the missionaries of the Protestant Episcopal Church."

The first visit of an Episcopal minister to that territory, of which there is official record, was made by the Reverend Joseph Cruikshank Talbot who was at that time Missionary Bishop of the Northwest. On July 5, 1863 - so the records show - he acted as Chaplain to a Fourth of July procession and on the following day - a Sunday - he preached in the Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe and administered Holy Communion for the first time in New Mexico to five persons besides the clergy.

For the next few years various clergymen conducted services whenever they could and in 1874 the General Convention of the Church created the Missionary District of New Mexico and Arizona. In the six years that followed a number of Bishops were appointed, none of whom remained long because of the danger, difficulties, and arduous work.

Mr. Dunlop was of a different calibre. Thoroughly aware of what he was getting into - of the hardships his family would have to endure, of the dangers he would encounter in traveling about the territory under his care, of the vast amount of work and energy it would take to accomplish what he was setting out to do - he accepted the appointment.

He assumed his duties as Missionary Bishop on March 21, 1881. Nothing seemed to daunt him, no distance too far to travel, no difficulties too great to overcome, no weather too severe to stop him. He traveled over all of New Mexico and Arizona in carts, on horseback, and on foot in all kinds of weather, summer and winter, in the face of hostile Indians, a great financial depression and with practically no church facilities or property. Yet when he died seven years later in 1888 a beautiful stone church had been built in Santa Fe, one in Albuquerque, an adobe church and rectory in Tombstone, St. Paul's Church and Rectory in Las Vegas, and building lots had been acquired in Tucson, Raton and numerous other places.

When death came to him, of pneumonia, on March 12, 1888, exhaustion was a contributory cause. A man of tremendous energy and capacity for work, he was in the truest sense a missionary bishop, never content to settle in one place for long, eager always to be on the move, getting a church started in one locality, then moving on to another. At the time of his election as Bishop, he had outgrown Missouri. It took the great Southwest to furnish space for him to work out his aims and ambitions.

Mourned by all who knew him, he was buried in St. Paul's Church in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The magnificent altar there, of white Italian marble, with columns of polished Mexican onyx, was given in his memory by the Woman's Auxiliary of the Diocese of Missouri. Other memorials in St. Paul's are the "bishop's chair" and a "robing room."

Grace Church, Kirkwood, also has a memorial to its first Rector. The beautifully carved oak altar was placed in the church in 1891 by the "Ladies of the Parish" and was consecrated by the Reverend Daniel S. Tuttle, then Bishop of Missouri.

Memory of this remarkable man lingered long in the minds of the members of Grace Church. The men remembered him chiefly for the winter hours they, as youths, had spent with him while he taught them Latin and Greek and for the summer outings when he had taken them to the Meramec River and taught them to swim. The women remembered him for his sweetness and tenderness toward his invalid wife. All remembered him for his never failing flow of wit and humor, his bright blue eyes and his sunny smile.