1779 - 1838 Meter: 8.7.8.7.4.7 Author of "Jesus, o'er the billows steer me" Henry Fowler, hymn-writer, was born at Yealmpton, Devonshire, 11 Dec, 1779. In early life he followed some trade, but occasionally preached in independent meeting-houses in Devonshire and in Bristol. At length in October 1813, he 'received a call' to Birmingham, where he continued until the end of 1819. Ultimately he settled in London, becoming in July 1820 minister of Goer Street Chapel. He died 16 Dec 1838, and was buried on Christmas day morning at the New Bunhill Fields burying-ground at Islington. It has been said that his own frame of mind seemed, in general, rather gloomy; certainly his autobiography, which he called 'Travels in the Wilderness,' (London, 1839) is not cheerful reading In addition to this and numerous religious tracts and biographies, he wrote 'Original Hymns, Doctrinal, Pracitcal and Experimental, with prose reflections,' (London, 1818-1824) and edited 'A Selection of Hymns by various authors,' (London, 1836).
From Dictionary of National Biography, Vol XX, Forrest-Garner edited by Leslie Stephen, New York: Macmillan and Co. and London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1889
Henry Fowler
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