Josiah Conder (17 September 1789 – 27 December 1855), was an abolitionist, author and hymn-writer. A correspondent of

Robert Southey Robert Southey ( or ; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, and Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Southey began as a ra ...

and well-connected to Romantic authors of his day, he was editor of the British literary magazine ''

The Eclectic Review ''The Eclectic Review'' was a British periodical published monthly during the first half of the 19th century aimed at highly literate readers of all classes. Published between 1805 and 1868, it reviewed books in many fields, including literature, h ...

'', the Nonconformist and abolitionist newspaper ''The Patriot'', the author of romantic verses, poetry, and many popular hymns that survive to this day. His most ambitious non-fiction work was the thirty-volume worldwide geographical tome ''The Modern Traveller''; and his best-selling compilation book ''The Congregational Hymn Book''. Conder was a prominent London Congregationalist, an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

, and took an active part in seeking to repeal British anti-Jewish laws.

Early life

The fourth son of Thomas Conder, an active Nonconformist who worked in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

as an engraver and bookseller, Josiah was born on 17 September 1789 at his father's bookshop in Falcon Street. His grandfather was Dr John Conder, a Dissenting minister and President of

Homerton College Homerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Its first premises were acquired in Homerton, London in 1768, by an informal gathering of Protestant dissenters with origins in the seventeenth century. In 1894, the co ...

and his uncle was

James Conder James Conder (1761–1823) was an English businessman and numismatist. He is known for giving his name to Conder Tokens and because of the coincidence of an ancient hoard of coins being found ten feet under his doorstep when his house was demoli ...

the coin collector. In his infancy, Josiah lost the vision in one eye due to smallpox. He was sent a few miles north of the

to the village of Hackney, for electrical treatment, a technique believed to be able to prevent the disease from spreading to also cause blindness in his other eye. He recovered, and continued to be educated at a dissenting academy in Hackney village, under the tutorship of the Reverend Mr. Palmer. At the age of ten his first essay were published in 'The Monthly Preceptor', and on reaching fifteen, he began work as an assistant in his family's City bookshop. On reaching the age of 21 (in 1811), he took over the family business. A short time later, Josiah married Joan Elizabeth Thomas ('Eliza Thomas'), one of his circle of friends with whom he had initially formed a literary association in 1810 to jointly contribute to the book, ''The Associate Minstrels''. She continued to write after her marriage, for example contributing two short narratives 'On the Ausonia Butterfly flying over the Summit of Mont Blanc' and 'The Air Orchis' to The Christian Keepsake in 1837.

Writing

Josiah Conder's work at the bookshop soon came to an end (c.1819), after wider recognition of his literary talents had led to him being offered the editorship of ''The Eclectic Review'', a prestigious literary journal that he continued to edit for twenty years (1814–37). With strong

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

links, he was also invited to edit ''The Patriot'', a newspaper that espoused nonconformist and evangelical causes, and for which he was editor for twenty-three years (1832–55). ''The Choir & The Oratory or Praise & Prayer'', became noted for one poem, 'The Apocalypse', which earned him a place in English Romantic literature; its popularity prompted him to pen the commentary, ''The Harmony of History with Prophecy, and Explanation of the Apocalypse'' for the more interested of his readers. Considered to reflect his evangelical and liberal, nondenominational, outlook, these hymns were widely adopted by churches and chapels throughout the western world. By the early twentieth century, some seventy years after his death, one biographer noted that more of Josiah Conder's hymns were in common use in Britain and the USA, than those of any other Congregational author except for the great Dr Isaac Watts and his friend

Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London the last of the twenty children of ...

Political work for abolition

Josiah Conder's political work included a tract on the superior value of free labour over slave labour. In 1839 he became a founding Committee Member of the

British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, which after a merge with the

Aborigines' Protection Society The Aborigines' Protection Society (APS) was an international human rights organisation founded in 1837,
...

and several changes of name is today known as Anti-Slavery International. In this role he was an organiser of, and delegate to, the world's first

Anti-slavery convention The World Anti-Slavery Convention met for the first time at Exeter Hall in London, on 12–23 June 1840. It was organised by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, largely on the initiative of the English Quaker Joseph Sturge. The exclus ...

, which was held in London in 1840 – an event depicted in a large painting by

Benjamin Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactles ...

that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London. His poem 'The Last Night of Slavery' dated 1 August 1834, evoking the horrors of the middle passage, was published in his collection, ''The Choir and the Oratory, or Praise and Prayer'', 1837. It was republished in the anthology, ''Slavery, Abolition and Emancipation: writings in the British Romantic Period'' (London: Pickering & Chatto) in 1999. Josiah Conder's ''Biographical Sketch of the Late

Thomas Pringle Thomas Pringle (5 January 1789 – 5 December 1834) was a Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist. Known as the father of South African poetry, he was the first successful English language poet and author to describe South Africa's scenery, nati ...

'', the Secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society, was published in 1835, and widely sold bound together with Thomas Pringle's own ''Narrative of a Residence in South Africa'' (1834). Shortly before his untimely death, Josiah Conder was prominent in the campaign to finance and make arrangements for

Samuel Ringgold Ward Samuel Ringgold Ward (October 17, 1817 – ) was an African American who escaped enslavement to become an abolitionist, newspaper editor, labor leader, and Congregational church minister. He was author of the influential book ''Autobiograph ...

, an African-American who escaped slavery in the US, to travel the length and breadth of Britain speaking to crowds to encourage support for the abolition of slavery in southern states of America, at a time when British foreign policy, as epitomised by

Viscount Palmerston Viscount Palmerston was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 12 March 1723 for Henry Temple, who subsequently represented East Grinstead, Bossiney and Weobley in the British House of Commons. He was made Baron Temple, of Mount T ...

, was supportive of slavery in the US in marked contrast to its determined attempts to close down the supply and trade from West African chieftains, eventually isolating just the King of

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

and the Chief of

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

held a large meeting at Crosby Hall on 20 March 1854, to thank Josiah Conder and others in his close circle, mainly nonconformists such as Dr Thomas Binney and the Rev James Sherman who supported him in England in contrast to the double standards of government policy which prioritised cheap cotton from the southern slave states over African-American civil rights. Joseph Conder's wife also took a role in

abolitionism in the United States In the United States, abolitionism, the movement that sought to end slavery in the country, was active from the late colonial era until the American Civil War, the end of which brought about the abolition of American slavery through the Th ...

. In December 1852, along with a number of other British women of the period, she was part of the group of ladies who met at Stafford House on Friday, 26 December ''to consider the expediency of addressing a memorial from the women of England to the women of the United States, on the subject of slavery'', and developed this work through her role on the sub-committee.

Death and memorial

Josiah Conder died on 27 December 1855, at St John's Wood, Hampstead, following an attack of jaundice, and was buried at the Congregationalists' non-denominational garden cemetery,

Abney Park Cemetery Abney Park cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries in London, England. Abney Park in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney, D ...

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. The ...

with a grey, polished granite, chest tomb as his monument. His literary wife Joan, died aged 91 in 1877 and is buried with him and other family members. ''"He left five children, one of whom is a daughter. The four sons are, Mr. Francis R. Conder, a civil engineer and railway contractor; the Rev. Eustace R. Conder, Pastor of the Congregational Church at Poole; Mr. Josiah Conder of the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government o ...

; and Mr Charles Conder, who is associated in professional pursuits with his eldest brother."''

Works

''The Modern Traveller''

Although Josiah Conder never travelled abroad himself, he compiled all thirty volumes of ''The Modern Traveller'', his non-fiction publishing epic covering the geography of many of countries of the world. It sold well, but was outsold by his ''Congregational Hymn Book'', some 90,000 copies of which were ordered in its first seven years.

Other books

*''The Congregational Hymn Book'', 1834 *''The Withered Oak'', 1805 *''The Reverie'', 1811 *''The Star in the East, with Other Poems Chiefly Religious and Domestic'', 1824 * ''Sacred Poems, Domestic Poems, and Miscellaneous Poems'', 1824 * * ''The Choir and the Oratory'', 1836/7 * ''Analytical and Comparative View of All Religions Now Extant among Mankind'', 1838 (Conder was the first European writer to distinguish between different traditions of non-European religion, in this work.) * ''The Harmony of History with Prophecy, an explanation of the Apocalypse'', 1849 * ''Hymns of Praise, Prayer, and Devout Meditation'', 1856 * ''The Poet of the Sanctuary'', I. Watts, 1851 * ''

Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...

'' by

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...

, with a Life of the Author by Josiah Conder, 1838 * ''Narrative of a Residence in South Africa'' by

, with a Life of the Author by Josiah Conder, 1835

Hymns

Amongst his hymns the following are well-known:Cyberhymnal
/ref> * Baptised into our Saviour's death * Be merciful, O God of Grace * Beyond, beyond that boundless sea * Blessed be God, He is not strict * Bread of heaven, on Thee we feed * Comrades of the heavenly calling * Day by day the manna fell * Followers of Christ of every name * Forever will I bless the Lord * Grant me, heavenly Lord, to feel * The Lord is King! lift up thy voice * Thou art the Everlasting Word * 'Tis not that I did choose Thee

References

External links

The first World Anti-Slavery Convention, 1840

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

''The Modern Traveller'' online

* *
v.1
Palestine. *
v.23
Syria and Asia. *
v.4
Arabia *
v.56
Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia. ** v.7-10. India
v.7v.8v.9v.10
*
v.11
Burmah, Siam, &c. *
v.1213
Persia and China. *
v.14
Turkey. *
v.1516
Greece. *
v.17
Russia. *
v.1819
Spain and Portugal. ** v.20-22. Africa
v.202122
*
v.2324
North America. *
v.2526
Mexico and Guatemala. *
v.27
Columbia. *
v.28
Peru and Chile. **
2930
Brazil and Buenos Ayres. ** v.31-33. Italy
v.1v.2v.3
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conder, Josiah English Congregationalists 1789 births 1855 deaths English abolitionists Burials at Abney Park Cemetery English book editors Christian hymnwriters English hymnwriters Congregationalist abolitionists