William Bright (1824–1901) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

ecclesiastical

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

and Anglican priest.

Life

He was born at

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

on 14 December 1824. He was the only son of William Bright, town-clerk of Doncaster, Yorkshire. He was sent first to a preparatory school at Southwell, and thence, in 1837, to

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, he there reached the sixth form at the time of Dr. Thomas Arnold's death. He gained a scholarship at

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...

, he matriculated on 20 March 1843 ; obtained first-class honours in classics in 1846 ; was awarded the Johnson theological scholarship in 1847, and the Ellerton theological essay in 1848, the subject being 'The Prophetic Office under the Mosaic Dispensation.' He graduated B.A. in 1846, proceeding M.A. in 1849, and D.D. in 1869. He was ordained deacon in 1848 and priest in 1850. He was elected fellow of University College in 1847, he retained his fellowship till 1868. He became tutor of his college in 1848, but in 1851 accepted the theological tutorship at

Trinity College, Glenalmond Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. T ...

, under the wardenship of Dr.

Charles Wordsworth Charles Wordsworth (22 August 1806 – 5 December 1892) was Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane in Scotland. He was a classical scholar, and taught at public schools in England and Scotland. He was a rower, cricketer and athlete and he ...

. In 1868, he was appointed

Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History The Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting. The current Regius Professor of Ecclesias ...

at Oxford, and canon of Christ Church in succession to

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, (13 December 1815 – 18 July 1881), known as Dean Stanley, was an English Anglican priest and ecclesiastical historian. He was Dean of Westminster from 1864 to 1881. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he wa ...

. He was proctor in convocation for the chapter of Christ Church from 1878; examining chaplain to Edward King; and sub-dean of Christ Church from 1895. He died unmarried at Christ Church on 6 March 1901, and was buried in the Christ Church portion of

Osney Cemetery Osney Cemetery is a disused Church of England cemetery in Osney, west Oxford, England. It is in Mill Street south of Botley Road and near the site of Osney Abbey. It borders the Cherwell Valley Line railway a short distance south of Oxford ra ...

, by Oxford. Bright wrote a number of works and

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

. He published editions of several

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

Works

''Ancient Collects, Selected from Various Rituals''
1857 and second edition, 1862. * ''Athanasius and Other Poems, by a Fellow of a College'', 1858.
''History of the Church, from the Edict of Milan to the Council of Chalcedon''
1860.
''Sermons of St. Leo the Great on the Incarnation''
1862 (translated). * ''Faith and Life'', 1864–66

(With Canon Medd.) 1865.
''Hymns and Other Poems''
1866, 1874 * ''A Sermon on 'The Priesthood'.'' 1874. * ''The Roman Claims tested by Antiquity.'', 1877.
''Chapters of Early English Church History''
1878, revised 1897.
''Notes on the Canons of the First Four General Councils''
1882. * ''Private Prayers for a Week.'' 1882.
''The Orations of St Athanasius against the Arians, according to the Benedictine text.''
1884 * ''Family Prayers for a Week.'' 1885.
''Iona, and other Verses.''
1886. * ''Addresses on the Seven Sayings from the Cross.'' 1887.
''Lessons from the Lives of Three Great Fathers''
1890.
''Socrates' Ecclesiastical History, according to the text of Hussey.''
second edition 1893.
''Waymarks in Church History.''
1894. *
The Roman See in the Early Church
' 1896. * ''The Proper Sense of the Word 'Catholic' as applied to Christian Communities or Individuals.'' 1897.
''Some Aspects of Primitive Church Life''
1898.
''The Law of Faith.''
1898.
Selected letters of William Bright, D.D.

References

;Attribution

External links

from

Project Canterbury Project Canterbury (sometimes abbreviated as PC) is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999 with a grant from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, and is ho ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bright, William English antiquarians 1824 births 1901 deaths English Anglican theologians 19th-century English Anglican priests People educated at Rugby School Alumni of University College, Oxford Regius Professors of Ecclesiastical History 19th-century Anglican theologians Burials at Osney Cemetery