Basil Woodd (1760–1831) was an English

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

cleric, known as a hymn-writer.

Life

Born at

Richmond, Surrey Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...

on 5 August 1760, he was the only son of Basil Woodd (1730–1760) and his wife Hannah (died 12 November 1784), daughter of William Price of Richmond. He was educated by Thomas Clarke, rector of

Chesham Bois Chesham Bois (traditionally , but now more commonly ) is a village in the Chiltern Hills, in Buckinghamshire, England, adjacent to both Amersham and Chesham. History Initially a hamlet in the parish of Chesham, the manor was assessed at 1½ ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, and matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

, on 7 May 1778, graduating B.A. in February 1782 and M.A. in 1785. On 16 March 1783 he was ordained deacon, and in 1784 priest. On 10 August 1784 he was chosen lecturer of St Peter's, Cornhill, a post which he retained until 1808. In February 1785 Woodd was appointed morning preacher at Bentinck Chapel,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

. Early on, he established evening preaching, an innovation which was at first resisted. Bentinck was a proprietary chapel, and he purchased the lease in 1793. On 5 April 1808 he was instituted rector of

Drayton Beauchamp Drayton Beauchamp (pronounced 'Beecham') is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the east of the county bordering Hertfordshire, about six miles from Aylesbury and two miles from Tring. ...

in Buckinghamshire. Woodd was successful in establishing schools, some of them connected with Bentinck Chapel. He was a member of religious societies, including the

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world. The SPCK is th ...

, the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

, and the

British and Foreign Bible Society The British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply the Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world. The Soc ...

. He died at Paddington Green, near London, on 12 April 1831.

Works

Woodd was a prolific author. His publications included: *''Memoirs of Mrs. Hannah Woodd'', London, 1793; on his mother, and in the form of a letter to

Richard Conyers Richard Conyers (1725–1786) was an English evangelical cleric, and the hymn-book compiler of a precursor to the ''Olney Hymns''. He became well known as the parish priest of Helmsley in the North Yorkshire Moors, a cure of scattered villages. ...

. It was republished in 1815 in George Jerment's edition of Thomas Gibbons's ''Memoirs of Eminently Pious Women''. *''The Duties of the Married State'', London, 1807. *''A New Metrical Version of the Psalms of David, with an Appendice of Select Psalms and Hymns'', London, 1821; 2nd edit. 1822. The earlier ''Psalms of David'' of 1794 was an innovative

hymnal A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chri ...

. Of Woodd's hymns, ''Hail, Thou Source of every Blessing'' became well known.

Family

Woodd was twice married: first, on 8 February 1785, to Ann (died 23 April 1791), daughter of Colonel Wood (died 1775); and, secondly, on 3 July 1792, to Sophia Sarah (died 15 August 1829), daughter of William Jupp of Wandsworth, an architect. By his first wife he had a son, Basil Owen (died 1811), and two daughters—Anne Louisa (died 1824), married to John Mortlock; and Anna Sophia (died 1817), married to Thomas Cahusac—and by his second wife two sons and a daughter.

Notes

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodd, Basil 1760 births 1831 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests Evangelical Anglican clergy English hymnwriters 18th-century English Anglican priests