Francis Nixon
Francis Nixon • Illustration — Bishop Francis Russell Nixon (1803–1879) Francis Russell Nixon (August 18037 April 1879) was a British Anglican bishop who served as the first Bishop of Tasmania, Australia. Robson, 'A History of Tasmania', Vol. I, OUP, Melbourne, 1983.
Also recorded as Francis Russell Nixon · Francis Russell, bishop Nixon
Francis Nixon
From Church news for the diocese of Tasmania, Hobart, January 1, 1894, Vol. XIII, no. 1. From the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, through the State Library of Tasmania · Public domain
- Born
- 1803.
- Died
- Francis Nixon died on 7 April 1879.
- Occupation
- photographer, anglican priest, bishop and artist.
- Education
- St John's College.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Francis Nixon • Illustration — Bishop Francis Russell Nixon (1803–1879) Francis Russell Nixon (August 18037 April 1879) was a British Anglican bishop who served as the first Bishop of Tasmania, Australia. Robson, 'A History of Tasmania', Vol. I, OUP, Melbourne, 1983.
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Note VALÉORINE
Francis Nixon (1803–1879) was an anglican priest, artist and bishop, among other activities. The anglican priest studied at St John's College.
Languages used include English. Works by Francis Nixon are held at Museum Natur und Mensch (Freiburg im Breisgau).
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q5482053
In this article
Early life and ministry
Early life and ministry
Nixon was the son of Robert Nixon, a priest and amateur painter of North Cray, Kent. Nixon attended the Merchant Taylors school before studying at St John's College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and subsequently Oxford Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Divinity (DD). He was ordained priest in 1827 (the year of his graduation).
Bishop of Tasmania
Bishop of Tasmania
• Illustration — Nixon's consecration On 24 August 1842, Nixon was consecrated a bishop at Westminster Abbey, to serve as the first Bishop of Tasmania, and arrived in the colony (then still called Van Diemen's Land) in June 1843.
Later life
Later life
Nixon died on 7 April 1879.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Francis Russell Nixon and Francis Russell, bishop Nixon. His recorded language was English. His recorded confession was Anglicanism. He was the child of Robert Nixon and Ann Russel. He married Anna Maria Woodcock and Frances Maria Streatfeild. One child is recorded: Francis William Nixon.
FRANCIS NIXON (1803-1879) Posolippo (from the Scoglio di Birgilio) c1841 watercolour and pencil on paper
Francis Nixon
Attributed to Reverend Francis Russell Nixon, British 1803-1879- View of New Zealand; watercolour, 30x19cm, (unframed)
Francis Nixon
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1803
Francis Nixon born.
1879
Francis Nixon died on 7 April 1879.
Artist and photographer
Like his father, Nixon was a painter. Early photographer Louisa Anne Meredith is remembered by John Watt Beattie in the 1880s showing him the "many specimens of both her own and the Bishop Nixon's photographic work in those early days of the very black art," and that she had been "instrumental in having the last remnant of the Tasmanian Aboriginals photographed for the purposes of science;" in March 1858, Nixon had made portraits of nine individuals belonging to the Oyster Cove group, photographs which remained relatively obscure until Beattie reproduced copies of them for the tourist industry, using his own name.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Nixon, Francis Russell (1803–1879). 2018-02-06. 10.1093/odnb/9780192683120.013.20207.
- 2.Barrett, W. R. Nixon, Francis Russell (1803–1879). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- 3.The King's Candlesticks: Pedigrees Rt Rev Dr Francis Russell NIXON [1203].
- 4.Album of sketches and watercolours of Tasmania, 1840-1853 / Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania. Collection - State Library of NSW.
- 5.Beattie quoted in the Tasmanian Mail, 26 October 1895
- 6.Aborigines of Tasmania : 31 photographs / David Scott Mitchell copy. Collection - State Library of NSW.
- 7.Reeder, Warwick. Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography. Routledge. 98. 2013-12-16. 978-0-203-94178-2.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q5482053: Francis NixonWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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