John Mason Neale (24 January 1818 – 6 August 1866) was an English

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

priest, scholar, and

hymnwriter A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who is traditional ...

. He worked on and wrote a wide range of holy Christian texts, including obscure medieval hymns, both Western and Eastern. Among his most famous hymns is the 1853 ''

Good King Wenceslas "Good King Wenceslas" (Roud Folk Song Index, Roud number 24754) is a Christmas carol that tells a story of a tenth-century king of Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) who goes on a journey, braving harsh winter weather, to give alms to a poor pe ...

'', set on St. Stephen's day, known as

Boxing Day Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...

in the UK. An

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

, Neale's works have found positive reception in high-church Anglicanism and

Western Rite Orthodoxy Western Rite Orthodoxy, also called Western Orthodoxy or the Orthodox Western Rite, are congregations within the Eastern Orthodox tradition which perform their liturgy in Western forms. Besides altered versions of the Tridentine Mass, congrega ...

Life

Neale was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 24 January 1818, his parents being the clergyman Cornelius Neale and Susanna Neale, daughter of

John Mason Good John Mason Good (25 May 1764 – 2 January 1827), English writer on medical, religious and classical subjects, was born at Epping, Essex. John Good's parents were the Nonconformist minister Revd Peter Good and Sarah Good, the daughter of anoth ...

. A younger sister Elizabeth Neale (1822–1901) founded the Community of the Holy Cross. He was educated at

Sherborne School Sherborne School is a full-boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 located beside Sherborne Abbey in the Dorset town of Sherborne. The school has been in continuous operation on the same site for over 1,300 years. It was founded in 705 AD by Ald ...

, Dorset, and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where (despite being said to be the best classical scholar in his year) his lack of ability in mathematics prevented him taking an honours degree. Neale was named after the

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

cleric and hymn writer John Mason (1645–94), of whom his mother Susanna was a descendant. At the age of 22, Neale was the chaplain of

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

. At Cambridge he was affected by the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Un ...

and, particularly interested in church architecture, helped to found the

Cambridge Camden Society The Cambridge Camden Society, known from 1845 (when it moved to London) as the Ecclesiological Society,

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. There may or may not be ...

of Crawley in Sussex but was forced to resign due to a chronic lung disease. The following winter he lived in the Madeira Islands, where he was able to do research for his ''History of the Eastern Church''. In 1846 he became warden of

Sackville College Sackville College is a Jacobean almshouse in town of East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. It was founded in 1609 with money left by Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset. Throughout its history it has provided sheltered accommodation for th ...

, an

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

East Grinstead East Grinstead () is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the northeast corner of the county, bord ...

, an appointment which he held until his death. In 1854 Neale co-founded the

Society of Saint Margaret The Society of Saint Margaret (SSM) is an order of women in the Anglican Church. The Anglican religious order, religious order is active in England, Haiti, Sri Lanka, and the United States of America, United States and formerly Scotland. History ...

, an order of women in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

dedicated to nursing the sick. Many Protestants of the time were suspicious of the

restoration of Anglican religious orders Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state. This may refer to: *Conservation and restoration of cultural property **Audio restoration **Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property **Film restoration ** Image ...

. In 1857, Neale was attacked and mauled at a funeral of one of the Sisters. Crowds threatened to stone him or to burn his house. He received no honour or preferment in England, and his doctorate was bestowed by

Trinity College (Connecticut) Trinity College is a private liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Founded as Washington College in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut. Coeducational since 1969, the college enrolls 2,2 ...

. He was also the principal founder of the

Anglican and Eastern Churches Association The Anglican and Eastern Churches Association is a religious organisation founded as the Eastern Church Association in 1864 by John Mason Neale and others, with Athelstan Riley being a leading member. The purpose for which it was founded is to pra ...

, a religious organization founded as the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches Union in 1864. A result of this organisation was the ''Hymns of the Eastern Church'', edited by John Mason Neale and published in 1865. Neale was strongly

high church A ''high church'' is a Christian Church whose beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, Christian liturgy, liturgy, and Christian theology, theology emphasize "ritual, priestly authority, ndsacraments," and a standard liturgy. Although ...

in his sympathies, and had to endure a good deal of opposition, including a fourteen years'

inhibition Inhibitor or inhibition may refer to: Biology * Enzyme inhibitor, a substance that binds to an enzyme and decreases the enzyme's activity * Reuptake inhibitor, a substance that increases neurotransmission by blocking the reuptake of a neurotransm ...

by his bishop. Neale translated the Eastern liturgies into English, and wrote a mystical and devotional commentary on the Psalms. However, he is best known as a

and, especially, translator, having enriched English hymnody with many ancient and mediaeval hymns translated from Latin and Greek. For example, the melody of

originates from a medieval Latin springtime poem, Tempus adest floridum. More than anyone else, he made English-speaking congregations aware of the centuries-old tradition of Latin, Greek, Russian, and Syrian hymns. The 1875 edition of the ''

Hymns Ancient and Modern ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' is a hymnal in common use within the Church of England, a result of the efforts of the Oxford Movement. The hymnal was first published in 1861. The organization publishing it has now been formed into a charitabl ...

'' contains 58 of his translated hymns; ''

The English Hymnal ''The English Hymnal'' is a hymn book which was published in 1906 for the Church of England by Oxford University Press. It was edited by the clergyman and writer Percy Dearmer and the composer and music historian Ralph Vaughan Williams, and ...

'' (1906) contains 63 of his translated hymns and six original hymns by Neale. His translations include: * " All Glory, Laud and Honour" * " A Great and Mighty Wonder" * " O Blest Creator of the Light" * "

O come, O come, Emmanuel "O come, O come, Emmanuel" (Latin: "''Veni, veni, Emmanuel''") is a Christianity, Christian hymn for Advent, which is also often published in books of Christmas carols.Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., ''Hymns of the Kingdom of ...

" * "

Of the Father's Heart Begotten "Of the Father's heart begotten" alternatively known as "Of the Father's love begotten" is a doctrinal hymn based on the Latin poem "Corde natus" by the Roman poet Prudentius, Aurelius Prudentius, from his ''Liber Cathemerinon'' (hymn no. IX) be ...

" * " Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle" * " To Thee Before the Close of Day" * " Ye Sons and Daughters of the King" * "Brief life is here our portion" * "To thee, O dear, dear country" * " Jerusalem the Golden" The last three are included in the poem of

Bernard of Cluny Bernard of Cluny (or, of Morlaix or Morlay) was a twelfth-century French Benedictine monk, best known as the author of '' De contemptu mundi'' (''On Contempt for the World''), a long verse satire in Latin. Life Bernard's family of origin and pl ...

, '' De Contemptu Mundi'', translated by him in full.

Death and legacy

Since Neale died on 6 August 1866, the

Feast of the Transfiguration The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated by various Christian communities in honor of the transfiguration of Jesus. The origins of the feast are less than certain and may have derived from the dedication of three basilicas on Mount Tabor.' ...

, he is commemorated by the Anglican churches on the following day, 7 August. Neale is honoured in the

and in the Episcopal Church that day. Neale and

Catherine Winkworth Catherine Winkworth (13 September 1827 – 1 July 1878) was an English hymnwriter and educator. She translated the German chorale tradition of church hymns for English speakers, for which she is recognized in the calendar of the Evangelical Luth ...

are commemorated together in the

Calendar of Saints The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

on 1 July, the anniversary of Winkworth's death. Neale was buried in St Swithun's churchyard,

Works

Sermons *
Sermons for the Black Letter Days
' (1868) *
Sermons for Children
' (1869) * ''Sermons Preached in a Religious House'' (1869)
volume one
*
Sermons on the Blessed Sacrament
' (1870) *
Sermons on the Passages of the Psalms
' (1871) *
Three Groups of Sermons
' (1871) *
Occasional Sermons
' (1873) * ''Sermons for the Church Year'' (1876
volume one
* ''Sermons Preached in Sackville College Chapel'' (1895) **Vol. IV
Minor Festivals of the Church of England
* ''Sermons on Passages from the Prophets'' (1895)
volume one
Hymns and carols Neale's most enduring and widely known legacy is probably his contribution to the Christmas repertoire, most notably: * '' Good Christian Men, Rejoice'', Christmas carol * ''

'', his original legendary

carol * ''

'', Advent hymn translated from the "

O Antiphons The O Antiphons (also known as the Great Advent Antiphons or Great Os) are antiphons used at Vespers during the Magnificat on the last seven days of Advent in Western Christianity, Western Christian traditions. They likely date to sixth-century I ...

" for the week preceding Christmas John Mason Neale also wrote the hymn: * ''A Great and Mighty Wonder'', translated from the Greek of St

Germanus Germanus or Germanos (Greek) may refer to: People * Lucius Trebius Germanus, governor of Roman Britain around 126 * Germanus (died c. 290), possibly apocryphal martyr-saint tortured at the Pula Arena * Germanus (d. 305 AD), Spanish martyr-saint ...

, although Neale incorrectly attributed it to St Anatolius. Hymn-books
''Hymni ecclesiae e breviariis: quibusdam et missalibus gallicanis, germanis, hispanis, lusitanis''
(1851)
''Hymnal Noted''
(Novello, Ewer and Company, 1851)
''Accompanying Harmonies to The Hymnal Noted''
by John Mason Neale and

Thomas Helmore Thomas Helmore (7 May 1811, in Kidderminster – 6 July 1890, in Westminster) was a choirmaster, writer about singing and author and editor of hymns and carols. Helmore's father was a congregationalist minister (also called Thomas). During th ...

, published under the sanction of the Ecclesiological society by Novello, Ewer (1852)
''Sequentiae ex missalibus : Germanicis, Anglicis, Gallicis, Aliisque medii aevi, collectae''
(1852)
''Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences''
compiled by John Mason Neale, first edition 1851
''Seatonian poems''
(1864)
''Hymns of the Eastern Church, translated with Notes and an Introduction''
1870 edition compiled by John Mason Neale Theological and historical books
''A History of the Holy Eastern Church''
(1847) * ''An Introduction to the History of the Holy Eastern Church'' (1850, 2 vols)
''A short commentary on the Hymnal noted; from ancient sources''
(1852)
''The Bible, and the Bible only, the religion of protestants, a lecture''
(1852)
''The ancient liturgies of the Gallican Church: now first collected, with an introductory dissertation, notes, and various readings, together with parallel passages from the Roman, Ambrosian, and Mozarabic rites''
(1855)
''Mediæval preachers and mediæval preaching''
(1856)
''A history of the so-called Jansenist church of Holland; with a sketch of its earlier annals, and some account of the Brothers of the common life''
(1858)
''Voices from the East, documents on the present state and working of the Oriental Church''
(1859)
''Essays on Liturgiology and Church History''
(1863)
''A commentary on the Psalms''
by John Mason Neale and

Richard Frederick Littledale Richard Frederick Littledale (14 September 1833 – 11 January 1890) was an Anglo-Irish clergyman and writer. Life The fourth son of John Littledale, an auctioneer, he was born in Dublin on 14 September 1833. On 15 October 1850 he entered Trinit ...

(1868)
''A History of the Holy Eastern Church''
(1873)
''A Commentary on the Psalms: From Primitive and Mediaeval Writers''
by John Mason Neale and

References

Sources

* ''John Mason Neale, DD: A Memoir'' (1907), Eleanor Towle * ''Memoir'' by his friend,

* ''Letters of John Mason Neale'' (1910), selected and edited by Eleanor Towle * Has a complete list of Neale's works
Online Books by J. M. Neale
(Neale, J. M. (John Mason), 1818–1866), University of Pennsylvania

External links

* * *
Works of John Mason Neale

John Mason Neale
directory on

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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neale, John Mason 1818 births 1866 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Anglican saints Anglo-Catholic clergy Anglo-Catholic poets Anglo-Catholic writers Christian hymnwriters English Anglo-Catholics People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar People educated at Sherborne School Trinity College (Connecticut) alumni 19th-century Anglican theologians