Nova Scotia became the first Anglican bishopric in British North America in 1787 with Charles Inglis as its first bishop. Charles Inglis was born at Glencolumbkille, Ireland and gained prominence as a Tory cleric and pamphleteer in New York City during the American Revolution.
The diocese of Nova Scotia initially included Newfoundland, Bermuda, Prince Edward Island, and Lower and Upper Canada, and was established at a time when the colonial church was combatting internal weakness and external competition. He used patience and discretion to overcome early antipathy from his cleric’s, and travelled as much as possible within his diocese to foster a stronger commitment from both clergy and laity. In 1789 he established the University of King’s College, Canada’s oldest university.