Sir Edward Denny, 4th Baronet (2 October 1796 – 13 June 1889) was an Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 baronet and composer.

Life

He was the eldest son of Sir Edward Denny, 3rd Baronet and Elizabeth Day, daughter of the Hon. Robert Day. In 1827, Denny became High Sheriff of Kerry

High Sheriff of Kerry

The High Sheriff of Kerry was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kerry, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kerry County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...

. In 1831, he succeeded his father as baronet and inherited a substantial portion of Tralee. Denny remained unmarried throughout his life. His family motto "Act Mea Messis Erit" — "in age my harvest shall be".

The following interesting obituary appeared in the 19 June 1889 "Leeds Mercury" edited by Thomas Blackburn Baines. "Nearly the whole town of Tralee belonged to him. He had an opportunity twenty years ago, when his leases fell in, of raising his rents to figures that, in some cases, would not have been considered extortionate had they been quadrupled (during the Great Hunger in Ireland). He, however, decided to accept the old rents. The result was that he was almost alone in escaping any reduction in the hands of the Land Commission. So far as he was himself concerned, a little money went a long way, but he gave liberally to poor relations and to the development of religious work in connection with the "Brethren". Living in a quiet way in a cottage in Islington, he devoted his time to the study of the prophetic books. His rental income from Ireland was about £13,000 a year". He served as High Sheriff of Kerry

High Sheriff of Kerry

The High Sheriff of Kerry was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kerry, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kerry County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...

 in 1827.

Denny lived in later years at Bolton Gardens, Kensington

Kensington

Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...

 and at another time at Islington, being then connected with the Brethren’s Priory Meeting Room. He was associated numerous principal men of the Plymouth Brethren movement including William Kelly

William Kelly

William Kelly or Bill Kelly may refer to:*Bill Kelly , American football player at the University of Montana and in the NFL*Bill Kelly , American football player and coach...

, J.G. Bellett, John Nelson Darby

John Nelson Darby

John Nelson Darby was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren. He is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism. He produced a translation of the Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation...

, George Wigram

George Wigram

George Vicesimus Wigram was an English biblical scholar and theologian.-Early life:He was the 20th child of Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet, a famous and wealthy merchant, and the 14th child of Lady Eleanor Wigram, Robert's 2nd wife...

. He also participated in the conferences held at Powerscourt House. Denny studied the subject of biblical prophecy and assisted by John Jewell Penstone (1817-1902) prepared valuable charts to illustrate dispensational teaching. The best known publication was "A Prophetical Stream of Time".

Hymn writer

Denny published his own hymns, in 1839 "A Selection of Hymns" and in 1848, "Hymns and Poems", with new editions in 1870 and 1889. Some of his hymns appeared in "Hymns for the Poor of the Flock” (1840) hymn book. He did not like other editors amending his compositions to suit their tastes or doctrinal foibles. In the preface to "Hymns and Poems" Sir Edward Denny wrote, "I have been much grieved, I confess, to observe how the practice of needlessly altering some even of our well-known favourite hymns has lately prevailed ... should any of these poems or hymns be deemed worthy of a place in any further collections, may they be left as they are without alteration or abridgement".

Death

Denny died aged 93. He was buried at the Paddington Cemetery by the side of George Wigram who had died ten years before. His sister Dianna Denny survived her brother by six months, attaining the age of 85, and was buried with him. On their headstone was engraved the following inscription, "In joyful assurance of rising to an endless day". Today a modern replacement headstone does not have this inscription.