Richard William Church
Encyclopedia
Richard William Church was an English
churchman and writer. He was son of Christopher Church, brother of Sir Richard Church, a merchant, was born in Newport
, his early years being mostly spent in Bulwark, part of Chepstow
, Monmouthshire
. In later life he was commonly known as "Dean Church".
type at Hartridge, Ringland, Newport and went in 1833 to Wadham College, Oxford
, then an Evangelical college. He took first-class honours in 1836 and, in 1838, was elected fellow of Oriel College
. One of his contemporaries, Richard Mitchell, commenting on this election, said: "There is such a moral beauty about Church that they could not help taking him." He was appointed tutor of Oriel in 1839 and was ordained the same year. He was a close friend of John Henry Newman in this period and closely allied to the Tractarian movement. In 1841 Tract 90
of Tracts for the Times
appeared and Church resigned his tutorship.
From 1844 to 1845, Church was junior proctor and, in that capacity and in concert with his senior colleague, vetoed a proposal to censure Tracts publicly. In 1846, with others, he started The Guardian newspaper and he was an early contributor to The Saturday Review. In 1850 he became engaged to H.F. Bennett, of a Somerset
shire family, a niece of George Moberly
, Bishop of Salisbury
. After again holding the tutorship of Oriel, he accepted in 1858 the small living of Whatley in Somerset near Frome
and was married in the following year. He was a diligent parish priest and a serious student and contributed largely to current literature.
, to which he was nominated by WE Gladstone
.
His task as dean was a complicated one. It was
He described the intention of his appointment to be "that St Paul's should waken up from its long slumber." The first year that he spent at St Paul's was, writes one of his friends, one of "misery" for a man who loved study and hated pomp and business. But he worked tactfully. Though of unimpressive stature and monotonous, he had a strong influence. He was a High Church
man, but of a rational type, and with an enthusiasm for religious liberty. He said of the Church of England
that there was "no more glorious church in Christendom than this inconsistent English Church." He was regarded in 1882 as a possible successor to Archbishop Tait
, but his health made it out of the question. While Dean of St. Paul's, he was patron of Saint Martin's League
for letter carriers.
in 1890, dying on 9 December in the same year, at Dover. He was buried at Whatley.
The dean's chief published works are a Life of St Anselm (1870), the lives of Spenser
(1879) and Bacon
(1884) in Macmillan's "Men of Letters" series, an Essay on Dante
(1878), The Oxford Movement
(1891), together with many other volumes of essays and sermons. A collection of his journalistic articles was published in 1897 as Occasional Papers.
His style is lucid but austere. He stated that he had never studied style per se, but that he had acquired it by the exercise of translation from classical languages; and that he employed care in his choice of verbs rather than in his use of adjectives.
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...
churchman and writer. He was son of Christopher Church, brother of Sir Richard Church, a merchant, was born in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, his early years being mostly spent in Bulwark, part of Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
. In later life he was commonly known as "Dean Church".
Life
After his father's death in 1828 he was sent to a school of a pronounced EvangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
type at Hartridge, Ringland, Newport and went in 1833 to Wadham College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, then an Evangelical college. He took first-class honours in 1836 and, in 1838, was elected fellow of Oriel College
Oriel College
Oriel College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford...
. One of his contemporaries, Richard Mitchell, commenting on this election, said: "There is such a moral beauty about Church that they could not help taking him." He was appointed tutor of Oriel in 1839 and was ordained the same year. He was a close friend of John Henry Newman in this period and closely allied to the Tractarian movement. In 1841 Tract 90
Tract 90
Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-Nine Articles, better known as Tract 90, was a theological pamphlet written by the English theologian and churchman John Henry Newman and published in 1841...
of Tracts for the Times
Tracts for the Times
The Tracts for the Times were a series of 90 theological publications, varying in length from a few pages to book-length, produced by members of the English Oxford Movement, an Anglo-Catholic revival group, from 1833 to 1841...
appeared and Church resigned his tutorship.
From 1844 to 1845, Church was junior proctor and, in that capacity and in concert with his senior colleague, vetoed a proposal to censure Tracts publicly. In 1846, with others, he started The Guardian newspaper and he was an early contributor to The Saturday Review. In 1850 he became engaged to H.F. Bennett, of a Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
shire family, a niece of George Moberly
George Moberly
George Moberly , English divine, was educated at Winchester and Balliol College, Oxford.After a distinguished academic career he became head master of Winchester in 1835. This post he resigned in 1866, and retired to the Rectory of St. Mary's Church, Brighstone, Isle of Wight, he was also a Canon...
, Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
. After again holding the tutorship of Oriel, he accepted in 1858 the small living of Whatley in Somerset near Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
and was married in the following year. He was a diligent parish priest and a serious student and contributed largely to current literature.
Dean of St Paul's
In 1869 he refused a canonry at Worcester, but in 1871 he accepted, most reluctantly (calling it "a sacrifice en pure perte"), the deanery of St Paul'sDean of St Paul's
The Dean of St Paul's is the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England in the Church of England. The most recent Dean, Graeme Knowles, formerly Bishop of Sodor and Man, was installed on 1 October 2007 and resigned on 31 October 2011...
, to which he was nominated by WE Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
.
His task as dean was a complicated one. It was
- the restoration of the cathedral;
- the adjustment of the question of the cathedral revenues with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners;
- the reorganization of a conservative cathedral staff with anomalous vested rights.
He described the intention of his appointment to be "that St Paul's should waken up from its long slumber." The first year that he spent at St Paul's was, writes one of his friends, one of "misery" for a man who loved study and hated pomp and business. But he worked tactfully. Though of unimpressive stature and monotonous, he had a strong influence. He was a High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
man, but of a rational type, and with an enthusiasm for religious liberty. He said of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
that there was "no more glorious church in Christendom than this inconsistent English Church." He was regarded in 1882 as a possible successor to Archbishop Tait
Archibald Campbell Tait
Archibald Campbell Tait was a priest in the Church of England and an Archbishop of Canterbury.-Life:Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tait was educated at the Royal High School and at the Edinburgh Academy, where he was twice elected dux. His parents were Presbyterian but he early turned towards the...
, but his health made it out of the question. While Dean of St. Paul's, he was patron of Saint Martin's League
Saint Martin's League
Saint Martin's League was a devotional society in the Church of England for letter carriers. It was founded in 1877 by Arthur Henry Stanton at the Church of St Alban the Martyr, Holborn. Its stated object was "Love to God and Man."-References:* by L. Hereward...
for letter carriers.
Death and legacy
In 1888 his only son died; his own health declined, and he appeared for the last time in public at the funeral of Henry Parry LiddonHenry Parry Liddon
Henry Parry Liddon was an English theologian.- Biography :The son of a naval captain, he was born at North Stoneham, near Eastleigh, Hampshire. He was educated at King's College School, and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated, taking a second class, in 1850...
in 1890, dying on 9 December in the same year, at Dover. He was buried at Whatley.
The dean's chief published works are a Life of St Anselm (1870), the lives of Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
(1879) and Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
(1884) in Macmillan's "Men of Letters" series, an Essay on Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
(1878), The Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
(1891), together with many other volumes of essays and sermons. A collection of his journalistic articles was published in 1897 as Occasional Papers.
His style is lucid but austere. He stated that he had never studied style per se, but that he had acquired it by the exercise of translation from classical languages; and that he employed care in his choice of verbs rather than in his use of adjectives.
Further reading
- Life and Letters of Dean Church, by his daughter, M.C. Church (1895)
- Memoir by H.C. BeechingHenry Charles BeechingHenry Charles Beeching was an English clergyman, author and poet. He was educated at the City of London School and at Balliol College, Oxford. He took holy orders in 1882, and began work in a Liverpool parish. He later became Dean of Norwich. He gave the Clark Lecture in 1900 on The history of...
in Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885... - Dean Church by D. C. Lathbury, (1907).