Henry Rose (priest) facts for kids

Henry John Rose (born January 3, 1800 – died January 31, 1873) was an English church leader and scholar. He was known for his strong traditional Christian beliefs, often called "High Church" views. He eventually became an important church official known as the archdeacon of Bedford.

Life and Education

Henry John Rose was born in Uckfield, Sussex, England. His father, William Rose, was a church leader and schoolmaster. Henry was the younger brother of another famous scholar, Hugh James Rose.

Henry went to Uckfield School, where his father taught him. Later, he studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge and then St John's College at University of Cambridge. He earned his first degree in 1821. In 1824, he became a "fellow" at St John's, which meant he was a senior member of the college who taught and did research. He lived at the college for about 12 years, studying classic languages like Greek and Latin, and also religious studies. He became very good at German and Hebrew, and later learned Syriac.

For a short time, from 1832 to 1833, Henry was a minister at St Edward's Church in Cambridge. In 1833, he gave a special series of lectures called the Hulsean Lectures.

Church Work and Later Life

In 1834, Henry helped his brother Hugh, who was unwell, by teaching divinity (religious studies) at Durham University. Around 1836, Henry moved to London and helped his brother with church duties in the parish of St Thomas, Southwark.

In 1837, his college appointed him as the rector of Houghton Conquest, a church near Ampthill in Bedfordshire. A rector is the main priest in charge of a parish. In 1866, he also became the archdeacon of Bedford. He held both of these important church positions until he passed away.

At Houghton Conquest, Henry oversaw the repair and improvement of the school buildings and the church. His brother-in-law, John William Burgon, often spent his holidays there. Many scholars from England and other countries came to visit Henry at the rectory.

Henry Rose was a traditional churchman. He loved collecting books and was a very hard-working writer. He owned many old writings from a famous philosopher named Bishop George Berkeley. Henry died on January 31, 1873, and was buried in the churchyard at Houghton Conquest.

Writings and Contributions

Henry John Rose wrote two main books on his own:

• The Law of Moses in connection with the History and Character of the Jews (1834) – These were his Hulsean Lectures.
• Answer to the Case of the Dissenters (1834)

He also helped with many other important projects:

• He assisted his brother Hugh with a new edition of John Parkhurst's Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testament (1829). A lexicon is like a dictionary for ancient languages.
• From about 1836, he edited the British Magazine for his brother.
• He edited the first volume of his brother's New General Biographical Dictionary, which is a book with short biographies of many people.
• He was one of the editors for the Encyclopædia Metropolitana, a large encyclopedia. He wrote parts of it himself, including sections on the history of the Christian Church.
• He translated two volumes of August Neander's History of the Christian Religion and Church (1831 and 1841).
• He wrote an essay in a book called Replies to Essays and Reviews (1862), discussing different religious ideas.
• He contributed to John Evelyn Denison's Commentary on the Bible and to William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible.
• He wrote for several magazines, including the Quarterly Review and the Contemporary Review.
• He was also one of the people who helped to revise, or update, the official English version of the Old Testament part of the Bible.

Family Life

On May 24, 1838, Henry married Sarah Caroline Burgon at St Pancras new church. She was the eldest daughter of Thomas Burgon and the sister of John William Burgon, who later became a dean (a senior church leader) in Chichester.

Henry and Sarah had two sons, Hugh James and William Francis, both of whom also became church leaders. They also had three daughters.