Charles Silvester Horne (1865–1914) was a

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 ...

minister, who additionally served as

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

MP for

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, and was a noted orator. He was the father of the humorous broadcaster,

Kenneth Horne Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne, (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh ...

Childhood

He was born in

Cuckfield Cuckfield ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Sussex District, Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeas ...

, Sussex, on 15 April 1865, the youngest child of Charles Horne, the minister of Cuckfield Congregational Church, and his wife, whose maiden name was Harriet Silvester Simpson. When he was six weeks old the family moved to

Newport, Shropshire Newport is a constituent market town in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It lies north of Telford, west of Stafford, and is near the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's parish ...

. Here Charles Horne gave up the ministry, becoming the editor of the local newspaper, the ''Newport Advertiser'' and became a partner of his wife's uncle, Charles Silvester in a printing and bookselling firm. Horne lived the rest of his childhood in the town, and was educated at

Adams' Grammar School Haberdashers' Adams is a grammar school for boys aged 11–18 and girls aged 16–18, located in Newport, Shropshire, offering day and boarding education. Current (2021) boarding fees are £12,144 per year and £13,644 per year for overseas stud ...

, where his headmaster was Tom Collins. His father's newspaper was a family business, and every member of the family helped with it at some point. The family at this time attended the Newport Congregational Chapel, which is described by Horne's biographer as "The most considerable Nonconformist place of worship in the town." It was through this church that Horne first began to preach, and his thoughts turned towards the Congregational ministry.

Early adult years

He graduated MA from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1886 and subsequently studied theology at

Mansfield College, Oxford Mansfield College, Oxford is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The college was founded in Birmingham in 1838 as a college for Nonconformist (Protestantism), Non ...

, where he was in the first intake of students at the new Congregational college, before beginning his working life as Minister of Kensington Congregational Chapel. During this period he married Katharine, the eldest daughter of Lord Cozens Hardy,

Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales a ...

from 1907 until 1918.

Fame grows

His fame as a preacher and author grew after he took over

Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road The American International Church, currently located at the Whitefield Memorial Church on Tottenham Court Road in London, was established to cater for American expatriates resident in London. Organised in the American denominational tradition, th ...

in 1903, which he rebuilt as Whitefield's Central Mission. He wrote hymns which are still sung today. From 1910 until his death he had a national platform for his views as an MP.

Death

In 1914, while on holiday in Canada, returning from

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

, he was suddenly taken ill travelling on a steamer and died, aged forty-nine, before arriving at

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. His body was taken home and buried at

Church Stretton Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, south of Shrewsbury and north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671.

, Shropshire, in the cemetery at Cunnery Road. Tributes poured in and his memorial service was attended by

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...

. His wife and children were to outlive him by over half a century, his youngest daughter living until 1984. One of his grandchildren,

Ronald Gordon Archibald Ronald McDonald Gordon (19 March 1927 – 8 August 2015) was a British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Portsmouth from 1975 to 1984. He was the Bishop at Lambeth from 1984 and, additionally, the Bishop to the Forces from 1985. He ...

, was Bishop of Portsmouth from 1975 to 1984.

Family

He married Katharine Cozens-Hardy, daughter of

Herbert Cozens-Hardy Herbert Hardy Cozens-Hardy, 1st Baron Cozens-Hardy, (1838–1920) was a British politician and judge who served as Master of the Rolls from 1907 until 1918. Early life and career Cozens-Hardy was born in Letheringsett with Glandford, Let ...

in Kensington, London in 1892 with whom he had seven children: Born in Kensington, London: * Dorothy (1893–1958), married Sir Archibald Gordon. Mother of Archibald Ronald McDonald Gordon * Herbert Oliver (1895-?) * Margaret Bridget (1897-?) * Joan Silvester (1900-?) * Ronald Cozens-Hardy (1902–?) Born in St. Pancras, London : * Ruth Audrey (1904–?) * Charles Kenneth (1907–1969)

Silvester Horne Institute

Church Stretton Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, south of Shrewsbury and north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671.

is the Silvester Horne Institute, a notable community building that serves as the town council's meeting place.Church Stretton Town Council
/ref> During his life he also built the ''White House'' on the town's Sandford Avenue, as the family home, which later becoming a nursing home before being demolished in 2006.

Bibliography

* * The life of Charles Silvester Horne, M.A., M.P. (

920 __NOTOC__ Year 920 ( CMXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December 17 – Romanos I has himself crowned co-emperor of the Byza ...

Author: Selbie, W. B. University of California Librarie
Details of Biography
* The romance of preaching / Author: Horne, Charles Silvester, Publisher: New York : Fleming H. Revell Company, London James Clarke & C
Volumes of Sermons held in Iowa Libraries
* A Modern Heretic, novel- Horne, C.
British Library Cataloguing
* Life of David Livingstone-Horne, C.
List of Livingstone Biographies

References

External links

* *
The life of Charles Silvester Horne, M.A., M.P
– whole book (published 1920) available online {{DEFAULTSORT:Horne, Silvester 1865 births 1914 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow English Congregationalists British Congregationalist ministers UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 People from Cuckfield Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Ipswich Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People educated at Adams' Grammar School Church Stretton