Edward Churton facts for kids
Edward Churton (born January 26, 1800 – died July 1874) was an English church leader and a brilliant scholar of Spanish literature. He was known for his writings on church history and his deep knowledge of Spanish culture and poetry.
Edward Churton's Early Life and Education
Edward Churton was born in Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire. His father, Ralph Churton, was an important church official called an archdeacon. Edward went to a well-known school called Charterhouse School. After that, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, which is a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1821 and a master's degree in 1824.
After finishing his studies, Edward Churton went back to Charterhouse School. For a few years, he worked there as an assistant teacher.
His Career in the Church
In 1830, Edward Churton left Charterhouse. He became a curate (a type of assistant priest) in Hackney, London. Later, he was even the headmaster of a Church of England school there.
In 1834, a high-ranking church leader named Archbishop William Howley gave him a church position in Monks-eleigh, Suffolk. About a year and a half later, another bishop, William Van Mildert, gave him the important job of rector in Crayke. Edward Churton stayed in Crayke for the rest of his life.
He was also appointed to a special role in York Minster, a very large and famous church. In 1846, he became the archdeacon of Cleveland, which meant he oversaw many churches in that area.
Edward Churton was interested in a church movement called the Tractarian movement. This movement aimed to bring back older traditions and practices in the Church of England. He supported its ideas.
Edward Churton's Writings and Studies
Edward Churton was a very busy writer and editor. He helped edit many important religious books. For example, he worked on the writings of Bishop John Pearson. He also wrote a book called The Early English Church, which was part of a series called The Englishman's Library.
He was very interested in Spanish culture. He discovered that a book thought to be by Jeremy Taylor was actually a new version of a Spanish book by Juan Eusebio Nieremberg.
For fun, he translated three plays by famous Spanish writers Pedro Calderón de la Barca and Juan Pérez de Montalván for his children. He also translated many Spanish poems.
Edward Churton only visited Spain once, in 1861. He traveled to the Basque region. After his trip, he wrote a paper called A Traveller's Notes on the Basque Churches.
His most famous work about Spain was a book called Gongora, an Historical and Critical Essay on the Times of Philip III and IV of Spain, with Translations, published in 1862. This book was about the Spanish poet Luis de Góngora and the history of Spain during his time. It included many of Churton's own translations of poems by Góngora and other famous Spanish poets like Fernando de Herrera, Villamediana, Luis de León, Calderon, and Cervantes.
After Edward Churton passed away in July 1874, his daughter published a collection of his poems in 1876. This book included his own poems and his translations from Spanish and even very old English (Anglo-Saxon) poems.
Over time, Edward Churton's writing changed. At first, he focused more on serious religious and philosophical topics. Later, his work became more about poetry, national history, and feelings.
