s latter place that their son
was reared and educated; remaining there until ordained to
the Episcopal Ministry, he left to take charge of his first
work in Norfolk, Va. Mr. Bragg was educated, first, in the
Episcopal Parochial School, then in the St. Stephen's Normal
School, and in the Bishop Payne Divinity School, all of
Petersburg, Va. His education, however, was supplemented by
private tuition by a master in languages, under whom he
studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew and philosophy. In 1881 he was
appointed a page in the Virginia Legislature, and a little
later, by the Speaker, promoted as the postmaster of that
body. In 1882, though not of age, he founded and edited the
"Virginia Lancet," the first Colored weekly published in the
"Black Belt" of Virginia. This newspaper he conducted for
some four or five years, and on January 12, 1887, in St.
Stephen's Church, Petersburg, Va., he was ordained Deacon by
Bishop Whittle of Virginia. He immediately left for Norfolk,
Va., where he began his ministry at the head of the little
Episcopal Mission of that city. He remained in Norfolk for
nearly five years, and during that time formally organized
Grace Church, secured the lot, built a new church and
rectory and improved the old school building. A very large
day Industrial School was carried on by Mr. Bragg in
connection with his work. While here, in June, 1887,
Governor Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia, appointed him one of the
State's Trustees of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural
Institute, where he served for four years, resigning only
because of leaving the State.

In December, 1888, he was advanced to the priesthood by
Bishop Whittle in St. Luke's Church, Norfolk, Va. In the
Fall of 1891 he accepted an invitation to become the Rector
of St. James' Church, Baltimore, Md. The church, although
one of the oldest of the connection, had been very much run
down. During a ministry there of ten years, he has wrought
remarkable improvement. He has increased the communicant
list from sixty-three to nearly two hundred, and advanced
the church well-nigh to complete self-support. The old
church, which was in a Jewish neighborhood, has been sold
during the present year, and a handsome brick structure
erected in another section of the city. Mr. Bragg, du