Archibald Campbell Tait

Archibald Campbell Tait (21 December 18113 December 1882) was an Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England and theologian. He was the first Scottish Archbishop of Canterbury and thus, head of the Church of England. Life Tait was born on Saturday, 21 December, 1811, at 2 Park Place in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Crauford Tait WS of Harviestoun (1766–1832) and his wife, Susan Campbell (1777–1814) daughter of Lord Ilay Campbell. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh and from 1824 at the newly completed Edinburgh Academy, where he was school dux 1826/7. His parents were Presbyterians but he early turned towards the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was confirmed in his first year at Oxford, having entered Balliol College in October 1830 as a Snell Exhibitioner from the University of Glasgow. He won an open scholarship, took his degree with a first-class in literis humanioribus (classics) in 1833 and became a fellow and tutor of Balliol. He was ordained deacon in 1836 and priest in 1838 and served a curacy at Marsh Baldon.