Isaac Stringer

Stringer was born in Kingarf, Ontario. He attended University College and Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto and received a BA degree in 1891. While at University College he served as Recording Secretary of the University College Literary and Scientific Society.

In 1892 he accepted a posting as a missionary to the Canadian Arctic{{cite book | editor-last=Malden |editor-first= Richard | editor-link=Richard Malden | title= Crockford's Clerical Directory for 1920 (51st edn) | location= London | publisher= The Field Press| page=1700| year=1920 | isbn=}} and spent the majority of his life in northern Canada.The Clergy List, Clerical Guide and Ecclesiastical Directory. London: John Phillips, 1900 In 1905 he was consecrated the second Bishop of Selkirk in the Yukon,[http://anglican.yukon.net/bishops.htm Bishops of Yukon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724140947/http://anglican.yukon.net/bishops.htm |date=2011-07-24 }} a position he held until 1931 when he was named metropolitan of Rupert's Land and relocated to Winnipeg where he died on October 30, 1934. He was installed as diocesan bishop of Rupert's Land and as metropolitan of the province at the Cathedral of St. John (Winnipeg) on September 1, 1931.{{Church Times | title = Canada. The New Archbishop. | archive = 1931_08_28_231 | issue = | date = 28 August 1931 | page = 231 | accessed = 18 May 2019 }}

Stringer was known during his life as "The Bishop Who Ate His Boots" as a result of an incident during a tour of his diocese in 1909. Running low on provisions, he found that the seal skin of his boots was sufficient as emergency sustenance.[http://www.hougens.com/yukonHistory/nuggets_year/2000s.aspx?nugget=1909 "Yukon Nuggets"] This epithet became the title of a biography of the bishop by Frank A. Peake.Published by the Anglican Church of Canada, 1966.

Isaac's grandson, Richard Stringer worked on and mostly completed a documentary film about Isaac before he died, and his colleagues at the CSC finished and released the movie {{cite web|url=https://www.shebafilms.com/product/the-bishop-who-ate-his-boots-2016/|website=ShebaFilms|title=THE BISHOP WHO ATE HIS BOOTS – 2016}}

One of Isaac's great-grandsons is Todd Mayhew. Todd and his wife, Sivan Agam, are the Australian/ British alternative folk duo The April Maze; they have written a song about Stringer's boot-eating story called "The Bishop Who Ate His Boots".

Canadian band Tanglefoot's song "Boot Soup" is based on the same incident.{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/Tanglefoot-boot-soup-lyrics|website=Genius|title=Boot Soup}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/virtual-exhibits/exhibit/the-bishop-who-ate-his-boots/ Canadian Virtual Museum webpage on Stringer]
• {{YouTube|hGze-mmWmWk|A video recording of The April Maze's song "The Bishop Who Ate His Boots"}}
• [https://vimeo.com/184636802/ The Bishop Who Ate His Boots | Sheba Films - a documentary on Isaac Stringer]

{{Metropolitans of Rupert's Land/Northern Lights}}

{{Bishops of Yukon}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stringer, Isaac O.}}

Category:Anglican bishops of Yukon

Category:1866 births

Category:1934 deaths

Category:People from Bruce County

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:Anglican bishops of Rupert's Land

Category:Metropolitans of Rupert's Land

Category:20th-century Anglican Church of Canada bishops