A member of the Halifax Crescents hockey team also played in amateur and professional baseball leagues. Known as “Stonewall” for his impressive goal tending feats- he was the star goalie whose talents were known through the years.

Fred established himself as one of the best net men of his day, he was the idol of fans of the old highlights of hockey history. A member of the 1898 days and his long hockey career included some of the Champion Halifax Crescents. It was in a game on January 9, 1899 between the Halifax Wanderers and Crescents, that “goal nets were used for the first time in a hockey game in Canada.” A sports writer at the time commented that the goal nets were used to the greatest satisfaction. There were many chances for disputes, had the goal posts been in use, but the net left no question. Late that same year on Dec. 30, 1899, nets were used in Montreal between the Shamrocks and the Victorias. When Halifax saw it’s first professional hockey game Fred Bishop was one of the goalies. It was between Truro and the Crescents in the Arena. On March 7, 1899, the hockey world received a big surprise when the world champion Montreal Shamrocks were held to a 2-2 tie in the old North end rink (destroyed in the 1917 Halifax Explosion and where the Forum now stands). The visitors were surprised by the strength of the local champions and their manager wanted to recruit the best of the local squad. “Your goalie is one of the best we have ever played against or with” were the words of the Montreal manager. Time after time Bishop made spectacular stops and he really earned the name of “Stonewall” Bishop.

The Montreal Canadians came to Halifax in 1909 and Fred Bishop guarded net for the locals with the famous Georges Vezina at the other end. While the noted ‘Newsy’ Lalonde was the crowd favourite, Bishop got lots of praise from the visitors, particularly from the Montreal manager who said: “Your goalie is fit to play anywhere.”

Beyond the game field Bishop was also a local business owner of Bishop Marble Works, which would make the gravestone for the Titanic victims.