Henry Christmas facts for kids
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Henry Christmas (born 1811 – died March 10, 1868) was an English clergyman. He was also a writer, an editor of magazines, and a expert in coins. Towards the end of his life, he used the last name Noel-Fearn.
Contents
About Henry Christmas's Life
Henry Christmas was born in London in 1811. He was the only son of Robert Noble Christmas and Jane Fearn. He went to St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1837 and a master's degree in 1840.
Christmas's Career and Work
Henry Christmas became a priest in 1837. He worked in several churches. From 1841 to 1848, he was the librarian and secretary at Sion College. This is a special college for priests.
He was also very busy as an editor. He edited the Church of England Quarterly Review twice. He also edited The Churchman, the British Churchman, and the Literary Gazette. He gave lectures at St Peter's Church, Cornhill and preached at other churches too.
Christmas's Scholarly Achievements
Henry Christmas was a very smart and skilled scholar. He was a member of many important groups. These included the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries of London. He was also a professor of English history and archaeology. This was at the Royal Society of Literature from 1854 to 1859.
He passed away suddenly in London on March 11, 1868, at age 57. He was buried in Norwood Cemetery. Before he died, he changed his name to Noel-Fearn. He was married to Eliza Fox and had one son and three daughters.
Henry Christmas's Published Works
Henry Christmas wrote many books and articles. Here are some of his notable works:
- ‘The Voyage: a poem,’ published in London, 1833.
- ‘Universal Mythology; an account of the most important systems,’ published in London, 1838. This book was about different myths.
- ‘Capital Punishments unsanctioned by the Gospel,’ published in London, 1845. This was a letter about his views on punishment.
- ‘The World of Matter and its Testimony,’ published in London, 1848. This book looked at science and religion.
- ‘The Cradle of the Twin Giants, Science and History,’ 2 volumes, published in London, 1849.
- ‘Echoes of the Universe: from the World of Matter and the World of Spirit,’ published in London, 1850. This book was very popular.
- ‘The Shores and Islands of the Mediterranean,’ 3 volumes, published in London, 1851. This included his travels.
- ‘Memoir of Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia,’ published in 1854.
- ‘The State and Prospects of Turkey and Mohammedanism,’ a lecture from 1854.
- ‘A Brief Memoir of … Napoleon III,’ published in London, 1855.
- ‘Preachers and Preaching,’ published in London, 1858.
- ‘The Hand of God in India’ (lectures), published in London, 1858.
- ‘The Christmas Week: a Christmas Story,’ published in Edinburgh, 1859.
- ‘Sin, its Causes and Consequences’ (lectures), published in London, 1861.
Translations and Edited Books
Christmas also translated books by other authors. He translated Augustin Calmet's Phantom World (1850). He also translated Christoph Martin Wieland's ‘Republic of Fools’ (1861).
He edited important works too. These included Samuel Pegge's ‘Anecdotes of the English Language’ (1844). He also edited the ‘Works of Bishop Ridley’ (1841) and the ‘Select Works of Bishop Bale’ (1849). These last two were for the Parker Society.
Henry Christmas's Numismatic Expertise
Henry Christmas was well-known as an English numismatist. This means he was an expert in coins.
Contributions to Coin Studies
From 1844 to 1847, he was a secretary for the Numismatic Society of London. He wrote many articles for the Numismatic Chronicle. He also worked on a book about British copper coins. Some copies were printed in 1864, but it was never fully published. Parts of his work were later used in another book about English coinage.
Christmas's Coin Collection
Henry Christmas had a large collection of coins. He collected British, Saxon, and English silver and copper coins. He also had coins from Scotland, Ireland, and Anglo-Gallic areas. His entire coin collection was sold at an auction in London in February 1864.
