The Rt Rev. Reginald Heber
(1783-1826)
poet, Bishop, and 2nd Bishop of Calcutta (1823-1826)
Died aged 42
Wikidata WikipediaReginald Heber (21 April 1783 – 3 April 1826) was an English Anglican bishop, man of letters and hymn-writer. After 16 years as a country parson, he served as Bishop of Calcutta until his death at the age of 42. The son of a rich landowner and cleric, Heber gained fame at the University of Oxford as a poet. After graduation he made an extended tour of Scandinavia, Russia and Central Europe. Ordained in 1807, he took over his father's old parish, Hodnet, Shropshire. He also wrote hymns and general literature, including a study of the works of the 17th-century cleric Jeremy Taylor. He was consecrated Bishop of Calcutta in October 1823. He travelled widely and worked to improve the spiritual and general living conditions of his flock. Arduous duties, a hostile climate and poor health led to his collapse and death after less than three years in India. Memorials were erected there and in St Paul's Cathedral, London. A collection of his hymns appeared soon after his death. "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty", remains popular for Trinity Sunday, while Brightest and Best is frequently sung during Epiphany.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 1 plaque
1926 Centenary Memorial Tablet to the glory of God, and in memory of Reginald Heber, Bishop and Poet. Born April 21st 1783, died in India, April 3rd 1826. Who, in the Old Vicarage near this site in 1819 wrote the missionary hymn From Greenland's icy mountains, from India's coral strand, where Africa's sunny fountains roll down their golden sand, from many an ancient river, from many a palmy plain, they call us to deliver, their land from error's grain.
Vicarage Hill, Wrexham, United Kingdom where they wrote a missionary hymn (1819)