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Bishop Tozer was born in Teignmouth, educated at St John’s College, Oxford and Wells Theological College.
Following his ordination to the curacy of St Mary Magdalene Munster Square in 1854 he then moved to Burgh le Marsh as vicar of Burgh & Winthorpe. Burgh le Marsh was at that time renowned in the missionary world due to St Paul’s College.
David Livingstone’s return from Africa in 1857 led to the formation of Universities Missionto Central Africa (UMCA). Following the death of Bishop Charles Mckenzie, the original pioneer of the UMCA, William George Tozer succeeded him and was consecrated as Bishop of Nyasaland on 2nd February 1863 and shortly after set off to Lake Nyasa – Africa, where he established a missionary centre with his friend Dr Edward Steere who had been a rector in Little Steeping, working to abolish the slave trade.
One of his greatest achievements was the first conversion of the Sultan who ruled the island of Zanzibar; then stopping the terrible slave trade bringing slaves from East Africa and selling them in the local slave market, eventually he was able to buy the site of the slave market and there erected a beautiful church.
Recently, Burgh has named a road “Bishop Tozer Close” on a new housing development in commemoration.