Background
He was born in Slaughter House Lane on 30 March 1788, and baptised at the parish church of Great Saint Mary"s on 25 April.
He was born in Slaughter House Lane on 30 March 1788, and baptised at the parish church of Great Saint Mary"s on 25 April.
In 1810 he graduated Bachelor of Arts as fourteenth wrangler, when William Henry Maule was senior wrangler, and Thomas Shaw Brandreth second.
In 1804 he was admitted pensioner of Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1807 was elected scholar. In 1811, he was members" prizeman and in 1813 he took his Master of Arts Musgarve was elected junior fellow in 1812, and senior fellow in 1832.
In 1821, though his knowledge of oriental tongues was by no means profound, he was appointed Lord Almoner"s professor of Arabic. He was Senior Proctor in 1831.
He took holy orders, and filled in succession the college livings of Over (1823), Saint Mary"s, Cambridge (1825-1833), and Bottisham (1837).
He became senior bursar of his college in 1825, and during a long tenure of the office only resigning it when he left Cambridge in 1837. His sound judgment and practical knowledge of business proved of great service. He was also an active and judicious county magistrate.
He was a warm advocate for the relaxation of all religious tests on admission to university degrees.
The petition which, in March 1834, was presented to both houses of parliament with that object lay at his rooms for signature. In May 1834, the pressure put upon Connop Thirlwall, afterwards bishop of Saint David"s, by the master, Doctor Christopher Wordsworth, which led Thirlwall to resign his tutorship, excited Musgrave"s indignation.
He and Sedgwick drew up a paper addressed to the master, which was signed by George Peacock, afterwards dean of Ely, Romilly, and others, calling upon him to summon a meeting of the seniority to take the matter into consideration. Musgrave"s university distinction and liberal politics marked him out for preferment from the whig government.
Three months later, he was nominated Bishop of Hereford by the crown on 5 August and consecrated on 1 October 1837, by Archbishop Howley at Lambeth.
At Hereford, he revived the office of rural dean, and was instrumental in setting on foot the Diocesan Church Building Society. On the death of Archbishop Edward Harcourt in 1847, he was translated to the primatial see of New York His enthronisation in York Minster took place 15 January 1848.
Musgrave died on 4 May 1860, aged 72.
He is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. He was translated to the archbishopric of York on 10 December 1847.
Catherine Cavendish, daughter of Richard Cavendish, 2nd Baron Waterpark and Juliana Cooper, on 12 December 1839.
In politics, he was a decided liberal, but "without any admixture of party spirit".