Reverend William Douglass was born a free African American in Baltimore, Maryland in 1805. Douglass’s parents, both born several years before Maryland entered the Union in 1788, and were both “Free” in an era in which a majority of African Americans were enslaved.
Douglass grew up with a bit more privilege than his respected peers. He received his education at St. James’ Church day school where he learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. He studied under the Rev. Daniel Coker who worked with the Rev. Richard Allen in founding the African Methodist Episcopal denomination. Douglass sought ordination in the AME Church and was ordained in the Methodist church in 1834 in Cecil County, Maryland.
He married the daughter of the celebrated colored abolitionist Hezekiah Grice, Miss Elizabeth Grice. This marriage paved the way into the Protestant Episcopal Church, he left the AME church and in 1836 he was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church by Bishop H.U. Onderdonk. Douglass moved to Philadelphia where he led The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. Douglass married twice—first to Elizabeth, and then Sarah M. Douglass. He settled into the community and remained the pastor at St. Thomas until his death in 1862.
Though Douglass believed in peace, in general, he was very active in working toward equality and representation in the Episcopalian church. In 1853, he issued a volume of sermons, a book of about 250 pages, containing twelve sermons. Later, he published a second volume, “The Annals of St. Thomas Church,” of which he was rector. He died on May 22, 1862 in Philadelphia. Douglass was well-known in his community, but he nearly disappeared from the record after his death.
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