Edward White Benson

Benson, Edward White, D.D., Archbishop of Canterbury, son of Edward White Benson, of York, was born at Birmingham, 14th July, 1829, and educated at King Edward's School in that town, and Trinity Coll., Cambridge. At Birmingham his contemporaries under the head mastership of Dr. Prince Lee, subsequently first Bishop of Manchester, included Dr. Westcott, and Dr. Lightfoot, Bishop of Durham. At Cambridge he took the high position of Sen. Opt. and 1st cl. Classical Tripos, winning also the distinction of Senior Chancellor's Classical Medalist. He subsequently became a Fellow of his College. In 1852 he passed from Cambridge to Rugby as assistant master; in 1859 from Rugby to Wellington College, of which he was Head Master for fourteen years; in 1872 from Wellington College to Lincoln, as Chancellor of the Cathedral; in 1877 from Lincoln to Truro, as the first Bishop of that Diocese; and in 1883 from Truro to Canterbury, as the Primate of All England. In addition to these appointments he was also Prebendary of Lincoln and Chaplain to the Queen. The sterling value of Dr. Benson's work at Wellington College, at Lincoln, and at Truro, is strongly emphasized by his appointment to Canterbury.

His literary labors have not been very extensive; but as a contributor to the Dictionary of Christian Biography, and the author of Work, Friendship, Worship (University Sermons at Cambridge), 1871; Boy Life; Sundays in Wellington College, 1874, and Single-heart, 1877, he is well and favorably known. His hymnological work embraces the co-editorship of the 1856 edition of the Rugby School Hymn-book; the editorship of the Wellington College Chapel Hymn Book, 1860, 1863, 1873, the translation of various Latin and Greek hymns, including Angulare Fundamentum; Tristes erant Apostoli; Dies Irae; O Luce Qui mortalibus; Te lucis ante terminum; (q.v.), and a limited number of original hymns. Of the latter the best is the Rogation Hymn, “O throned, O crowned with all renown" (q. v.).

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Benson, E. W., p. 135, ii. Abp. Benson died suddenly at Hawarden, Oct. 11, 1896.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)