Henry Casson Barnes Bazely (1842–1883) was a non-conformist minister of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

operating in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Life

He was born on 8 September 1842 the only son of Rev Thomas Tyssen Bazely, rector of All Saints Church in

Poplar, London Poplar is a district in East London, England, the administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, borough of Tower Hamlets. Five miles (8 km) east of Charing Cross, it is part of the East End of London, East End. It is identi ...

, and his wife Julia Shipdem. His paternal grandfather was Admiral

John Bazely Admiral John Bazely (March 1740 – 22 April 1809) was an experienced and highly respected officer of the British Royal Navy who served in three wars and saw numerous actions, notably during the American War of Independence. He first gained notice ...

. On his father's retiral (sometime before 1861) the family moved to 1 James Villas, Poonah Place,

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Roc ...

. Henry was educated at Radley College under Dr Sewell then obtained a place at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

where he graduated BA in 1865 and BCL in 1868. While at Brasenose College in Oxford he befriended Rev David Johnston of Unst. They travelled together to Scotland where Johnston explained the Scottish system of worship. This friendship caused him to leave the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

and join the

in 1868.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; vol. 7; by Hew Scott In 1869 he was licensed to preach as a Church of Scotland by the Presbytery of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. On his return to Oxford he then began preaching in the open in Oxford, especially to the poor, and selling his possessions to help the poor. His favourite spot to preach was the Martyrs' Memorial in Oxford. In 1871 he hired a meeting hall on Alfred Street in Oxford (at his own expense) where he began preaching in the Church of Scotland format. In April 1877 he was formally ordained as a Church of Scotland minister in Stepney in

(the church had no premises in Oxford). In 1876 he received an inheritance on the death of his mother. He used the entire amount plus some of his own funds to personally finance the first Church of Scotland Church in Oxford, which he built on a site on Nelson Street, being completed in 1879. He preached at race meetings at both

Abingdon-on-Thames Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames. Historic counties of England, Historically the ...

and Ascot and continued to preach each evening at the Martyrs Memorial. In 1881 he was living with his new wife at 32 New Inn Hall Street in Oxford. He died of Bright's disease at home in Oxford on 1 March 1883 and is buried in St Sepulchre Cemetery in Oxford. After Bazely's death there was a dispute between the Church of Scotland and his widow as to the ownership of the church on Nelson Street. The Church offered no compensation and Mrs Bazely was in dire need of funds and could not give the building away. As such, the Church of Scotland abandoned its presence in Oxford in 1885.

Family

On 6 August 1880 in a crown court in London he married Louisa Boothby, daughter of George William Boothby RN. They had one son, George Henry Boothby Bazely (b.1881)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazely, Henry Casson Barnes 1842 births 1883 deaths Alumni of the University of Oxford People from Oxford English philanthropists