Basil Joseph Mathews (28 August 1879 – 29 March 1951) was an English historian, biographer, and writer on the

ecumenical movement Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...

. In his early life, Mathews was a librarian, a journalist, and Editorial Secretary of the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

. During the First World War he worked for the Ministry of Information.

Early life

Mathews was born at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in 1879, the eldest son of Angelo Alfred Hankins Mathews, an insurance broker, and his wife, Emma Colegrove.Norman Goodall, "Mathews, Basil Joseph (1879–1951)" in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'', https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/34933 accessed 10 February 2021 After leaving the

City of Oxford High School for Boys The City of Oxford High School for Boys (a.k.a. Oxford High School for Boys and City of Oxford School) was founded in 1881 by Thomas Hill Green to provide Oxford boys with an education which would enable them to prepare for University. History ...

, he worked at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

and the Oxford City Library, then was employed by A. M. Fairbairn, Principal of

Mansfield College, Oxford Mansfield College, Oxford is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The college was founded in Birmingham in 1838 as a college for Nonconformist students. It moved to Oxford in 1886 and was renamed Mansfield Coll ...

, as a secretary. He then matriculated at the university and in 1904 graduated

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in modern history.

Career

After the university, Mathews was a journalist for the ''Christian World''. Soon after reporting from the World Missionary Conference of 1910, he became Editorial Secretary of the

. In 1913, he published his first book, an illustrated biography of

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livings ...

, the Victorian missionary. From 1917 to 1918, during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he worked for the Ministry of Information. As well as works on the history of religion, including a life of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, Mathews published biographies of

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...

and

John Mott John Raleigh Mott (May 25, 1865 – January 31, 1955) was an American evangelist and long-serving leader of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 19 ...

. He also wrote the hymn '' Far round the world thy children sing their song''.

Private life

In 1911, Mathews was living in

Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'', and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The ea ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, with his first wife, Harriett Anne Passmore, a farmer’s daughter, and his mother-in-law. Mathews’s father died at Boars Hill, near Oxford, in 1928, leaving his mother widowed. She lived until 1948, when she was aged ninety. Mathews’s first wife died in 1939."Mathews, Basil Joseph, (28 Aug. 1879–29 March 1951)" in ''Who Was Who'' (London: A & C Black) In the spring of 1940, in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

, he married secondly Winifred Grace Wilson. He spent his final years at Triangle Cottage, Boars Hill, and died at the

Warneford Hospital The Warneford Hospital is a hospital providing mental health services at Headington in east Oxford, England. It is managed by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital opened as the Oxford Lunatic Asylum in July 1826. It was ...

, Oxford, in 1951, leaving a widow, Winifred, and an estate valued for probate at £3,706."MATHEWS Basil Joseph of the Triangle Cottage Boars Hill" in ''Probate Index for England and Wales'' (1951), p. 786

Honours

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Major publications

* ''Livingstone, the Pathfinder'', illustrated by Ernest Prater (Oxford and London: Henry Frowde Oxford University Press, 1913) *''John Williams, the shipbuilder'', illustrated by Ernest Prater (London and Oxford: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press, 1915; new edition by Ulan Press, 2012) *''The Ships of Peace'' (London and Oxford: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press, 1919; new edition by Wentworth Press, 2016, ) *''The Argonauts of Faith; the adventures of the "Mayflower" Pilgrims'' (Washington DC: Library of Congress, 1920) *''The Clash of Colour: a study in the problem of race'' (Doran, 1924; reprinted Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1973) *''Young Islam on Trek: A Study in the Clash of Civilizations'' (1926) *''The Clash of World Forces: a Study in Nationalism, Bolshevism and Christianity'' (London: Edinburgh House Press, 1931) * ''A Life of Jesus'' (New York: R. R. Smith Inc., 1931) *''The Jew and the World Ferment'' (London: Edinburgh House Press, 1934) *''John R. Mott, world citizen'' (New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1934) *''Shaping the future : a study in world revolution'' (London: Student Christian Movement Press, 1936) *''East and West: conflict or cooperation?'' (1936) *''Booker T. Washington, educator and interracial interpreter'' (Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1948) *''Crisis of the West Indian family; a sample study'' (1952) *''Disciples of All Nations'' (1952) *''The Riddle of Nearer Asia'' (New edition by Nabu Press, 2010, ) *''Essays on Vocation'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016, ) *''Yarns on African Pioneers to Be Told to Boys'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016) *''Kerala: the Land of Palms'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016) * ''Paul the Dauntless, the Course of a Great Adventure'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016, ) * ''Fellowship in Thought and Prayer'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016, ) * ''The Book of Missionary Heroes'' (New edition by Wentworth Press, 2016, ) *''Three Years' War for Peace'' (New edition by Palala Press, 2016, )

Notes

External links

* *
Basil Mathews
hymnsam.co.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Mathews, Basil Joseph 1879 births 1951 deaths 20th-century English historians English biographers People educated at the City of Oxford High School for Boys University of British Columbia people Writers from Oxford