Edward Higginson (9 January 1807 – 12 February 1880) was an English
Unitarian minister and author.
Life
He was born at
Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris is a suburb of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the Four Heatons, and neighbours Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancash ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, on 9 January 1807. His father, Edward Higginson the elder (b. 20 March 1781, d. 24 May 1832), was a Unitarian minister and schoolmaster at
Stockport
Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here.
Most of the town is within ...
(1801–10) and
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
(1811–31), who married as his first wife Sarah Marshall (d. 10 August 1827, aged 45) of Loughborough, Leicestershire. He was educated in his father's school, and in September 1823 entered
Manchester College, York
Harris Manchester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It was founded in Warrington in 1757 as a college for Unitarian students and moved to Oxford in 1893. It became a full college of th ...
, as a divinity student.
In August 1828 Higginson settled as minister of Bowl Alley Lane Chapel,
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
. From 1829 he also taught a school. He removed in 1846 to Westgate Chapel,
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
,
West Riding
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
, taking his school with him. In 1858 he became minister of High Street Chapel,
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
,
Glamorganshire
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
, a position which he resigned because of failing health in 1876. While at
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
he assisted in the tutorial work of
Carmarthen College
Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, dow ...
, and at the end of 1875 was offered the principalship. From 1877 to 1879 he was president of the
Royal Institute of South Wales.
Higginson was a conservative among Unitarian scholars, his theological position being similar to that of
Samuel Bache, who married his sister. He died at Swansea on 12 February 1880.
Works
Higginson published, with sermons and tracts:
* ''Orthodoxy and Unbelief'', &c., 1832.
* ''The Sacrifice of Christ'', &c., Hull, 1833; 2nd edition, 1848.
* ''Christ Imitable, or, The Religious Value of Christ's Proper Humanity'', 1837.
* ''The Spirit of the Bible'', &c., 1853–5, 2 vols.; 2nd edition, 1863.
* ''Astro-Theology'', &c., 1855. This was a contribution to the debate of the time on
cosmic pluralism
Cosmic pluralism, the plurality of worlds, or simply pluralism, describes the belief in numerous "worlds" (planets, dwarf planets or natural satellites) in addition to Earth (possibly an infinite number), which may harbour extraterrestrial life ...
, involving also
David Brewster
Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE (11 December 178110 February 1868) was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optics ...
,
Baden Powell,
Thomas Collins Simon, and
William Whewell
William Whewell ( ; 24 May 17946 March 1866) was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. In his time as a student there, he achieved dist ...
.
* Six Essays on ''Inspiration'', &c., 1856.
* ''The Morals of Belief'', &c., 1860.
* ''An English grammar, specially intended for classical schools'', London: Longman, Green. 1864
* ''A Short Memoir of the Rev. R. B. Aspland'', &c., 1869.
* ''A Catechism without Questions'', &c.
869?
* ''Ecce Messias'', 1871.
* With his wife he published ''The Fine Arts in Italy'', 1859, a translation from the French of
Athanase Josué Coquerel
Athanase Josué Coquerel (16 June 182024 July 1875) was a French Protestant theologian.
Life
The son of Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel, he was born in Amsterdam and studied theology at Geneva and at Strasbourg, and at an early age succeeded ...
.
Higginson's preaching was not popular, but his ''Spirit of the Bible'' was widely read. He contributed theological and critical articles to the ''
Christian Reformer
The ''Christian Reformer, or New Evangelical Miscellany'' was a British Unitarian magazine established in 1815 and edited by Robert Aspland
Robert Aspland (13 January 1782 – 30 December 1845) was an English Unitarian minister, editor and act ...
'', edited by his friend
Robert Brook Aspland; in 1857 and 1858 he wrote anonymously there a series of semi-autobiographical sketches, under the title ''A Minister's Retrospect''; from 1876 he contributed to the ''
Christian Life
''Satan Is Real'' is a gospel bluegrass album by American country music duo The Louvin Brothers, released in 1959.
History
Producer Ken Nelson set up recording sessions in August 1958 to record enough tracks for two albums. The first was to b ...
'' edited by
Robert Spears.
Family
Higginson married first, on 25 December 1839, Lydia (d. 8 Feb. 1856, aged 42), youngest daughter of Flower Humble of Newcastle upon Tyne, and adopted by
Samuel Shore; secondly, on 5 July 1857, Emily, daughter of George Thomas of Carmarthen, and left children.
See also
*
Astrotheology
Astrotheology, astral mysticism, astral religion, astral or stellar theology (also referred to as astral or star worship) is the worship of the stars (individually or together as the night sky), the planets, and other heavenly bodies as deities, ...
Notes
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higginson, Edward
1807 births
1880 deaths
English Unitarian ministers
Alumni of Harris Manchester College, Oxford