Benjamin Beddome
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Beddome was an English Baptist
minister and hymnist. He was born in Henley-in-Arden
, Warwickshire
, England
.
He was the son of Baptist minister John Beddome. Benjamin was initially apprenticed to a surgeon in Bristol
, but in 1739 joined the Baptist church in Prescott Street, and at the call of his church devoted himself to the work of Christian ministry. In 1740 he began to preach at Bourton-on-the-Water
, Gloucestershire
and became one of the most highly respected Baptist ministers in western England, known for his literary attainments. In 1752, he wrote A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism, by Way of Question and Answer. In 1770, Beddome received an MA degree from Providence College
, Rhode Island
.
Beddome long wrote a hymn each week to be sung after his Sunday sermon. Though his hymns were not originally intended for publication, he allowed 13 of them to be included in the Bristol Baptist Collection of Ash & Evans, and 36 in Rippon’s Selection
. In 1817, a posthumous collection of his hymns was published as Hymns Adapted to Public Worship or Family Devotion, containing 830 pieces. Today a number of Beddome's hymns are included in the Sacred Harp
.
Robert Hall
wrote:
Benjamin Beddome died and is buried in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and hymnist. He was born in Henley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden is a small town in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 2,011....
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He was the son of Baptist minister John Beddome. Benjamin was initially apprenticed to a surgeon in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, but in 1739 joined the Baptist church in Prescott Street, and at the call of his church devoted himself to the work of Christian ministry. In 1740 he began to preach at Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and became one of the most highly respected Baptist ministers in western England, known for his literary attainments. In 1752, he wrote A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism, by Way of Question and Answer. In 1770, Beddome received an MA degree from Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
Beddome long wrote a hymn each week to be sung after his Sunday sermon. Though his hymns were not originally intended for publication, he allowed 13 of them to be included in the Bristol Baptist Collection of Ash & Evans, and 36 in Rippon’s Selection
John Rippon
John Rippon was an English Baptist minister and in 1787 published an important hymnal, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns, commonly known as Rippon's Selection, which was very successful, and was reprinted 27 times in over 200,000...
. In 1817, a posthumous collection of his hymns was published as Hymns Adapted to Public Worship or Family Devotion, containing 830 pieces. Today a number of Beddome's hymns are included in the Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...
.
Robert Hall
Robert Hall
The Rev. Robert Hall was an English Baptist minister.He was born at Arnesby near Leicester, where his father, Robert Hall was pastor of a Baptist congregation. Robert was the youngest of a family of fourteen...
wrote:
- The man of taste will be gratifired with the beauty and original turns of thought which many of them exhibit, while the experimental Christian will often perceive the most secret movements of his soul strikingly delineated, and sentiments pourtrayed which will find their echo in every heart.
Benjamin Beddome died and is buried in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England.