Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax

Charles Lindley Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax (7 June 1839 – 19 January 1934), was a British Anglo-Catholic ecumenist. He served as president of the English Church Union during two periods: from 1868 to 1919 and from 1927 to 1934.

Early life and education:

He was born in London as the eldest son of Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax, a prominent Liberal politician, and Lady Mary Grey, the fifth daughter of the 2nd Earl Grey. During his time at Eton, he was favored by his master, William Johnson Cory, who dedicated his book of Uranian verse, Ionica, to him. From 1858 to 1863, he studied law and modern history at Christ Church, Oxford, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1863 and a Master of Arts in 1865.

Career and public service:

Between 1862 and 1877, Halifax served as Groom of the Chamber to the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. He succeeded to the viscountcy on 8 August 1885. In 1886, having been a member of the Northern Regiment of West Riding Yeomanry Cavalry, he became a Deputy Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire, a position he held alongside roles as one of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and as a member of the Houses of Laymen for York.

Religious activities:

An adherent of the Anglo-Catholic movement influenced by the Oxford Movement, Halifax became president of the English Church Union in 1868 at the request of Edward Bouverie Pusey. This society aimed to promote Catholic principles within the Church of England. Along with the French priest Fernand Portal, he participated in efforts—such as the Malines Conversations—to establish dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England concerning Anglican orders. However, disagreements among the Anglican bishops and with Rome prevented substantive dialogue, and the papal encyclical Apostolicae curae (1896) declared Anglican orders null and void.

Halifax's efforts to foster ecumenical dialogue are considered to have been hindered by the differing perceptions and attitudes of the ecclesiastical authorities in Canterbury and Westminster, as well as by the Roman Catholic view of the Church of England as a state church with limited theological authority. Despite these setbacks, Halifax resumed his presidency of the English Church Union in 1927 until his death. One of his notable achievements was facilitating the union of the English Church Union with the Anglo-Catholic Congress in 1933.

Personal life:

Halifax married Lady Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay (1838–1919), daughter of William Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon, and Lady Elizabeth Fortescue. Together, they had six children: four sons and two daughters. Their children included Charles Reginald Lindley Wood, who died young; Alexandra Mary Elizabeth Wood, who was a godchild of Queen Alexandra and married Major General Hugh Sutton; Francis Hugh Lindley Wood; Mary Agnes Emily Wood, who married George Lane-Fox and was created Baroness Bingley; Henry Paul Lindley Wood, who died young; and Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, who became the 3rd Viscount Halifax and was later created Earl of Halifax in 1944. Halifax outlived his three eldest sons and passed away at the age of 94.

He was also known as a collector of ghost stories, with some of his collections published in works such as "Lord Halifax's Complete Ghost Book" and "The Ghost Book of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax."

References:

His biography is detailed in sources including Debrett's Peerage and Titles of Courtesy, and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. A comprehensive biography of his son, the 3rd Viscount Halifax, is provided in Andrew Roberts' "The Holy Fox: The Life of Lord Halifax."