Christopher Heath (1802–1876) was an English minister of the

Catholic Apostolic Church The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church or Irvingite Church, is a Christian denomination, denomination in the Restorationist branch of Christianity. It originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germa ...

Life

Heath was born in London on 26 March 1802. His grandfather, Benjamin Heath, was a

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

manufacturer in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. His father, John Heath, was a surgeon in the navy, who, after being present in Lord Howe's action of 1 June 1794, left the sea service and practised at 69 Hatton Garden as a surgeon dentist. The son, Christopher, entered

St Paul's School, London St Paul's School is a Selective school, selective Private schools in the United Kingdom, independent day school (with limited boarding school, boarding) for boys aged 13–18, founded in 1509 by John Colet and located on a 43-acre site by Rive ...

, 1 November 1813; in 1817 became a pupil under his father, and eventually succeeded to his profession. He was brought up in the church of England, but being attracted by the preaching of

Edward Irving Edward Irving (4 August 17927 December 1834) was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Early life Edward Irving was born at Annan, Annandale, the second son of G ...

at the Caledonian Chapel, Cross Street, Hatton Garden, became a member of his congregation there in May 1832. He moved with Irving when he took his congregation to Newman Street Hall on 24 October 1832, and was called to be an elder of the church. Some time after Irving's death (3 June 1835) Heath was appointed to succeed him as angel or minister of the congregation, being ordained by

John Bate Cardale John Bate Cardale (1802–1877) was an English religious leader, the first apostle of the Catholic Apostolic Church. Life J. B. Cardale was born in London on 7 November 1802, as the eldest of five children to William Cardale (1775-1838) and Mary A ...

, the apostle. At this point he gave up his profession, and moved to 14 Newman Street, adjoining the church. In course of time, finding that the Newman Street Hall was small and inconvenient, in conjunction with his deacons he obtained plans from Raphael Brandon for an early English building in

Gordon Square Gordon Square is a public park square in Bloomsbury, London, England. It is part of the Bedford Estate and was designed as one of a pair with the nearby Tavistock Square. It is owned by the University of London. History and buildings The sq ...

. He laid the first stone in 1851, and the

Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury The Church of Christ the King belongs to Catholic Apostolic Church trustees; it is in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London. It adjoins Dr Williams's Library and is within sight of University College London. The church is used by the Anglican missio ...

was opened on Christmas Eve 1853. The west end of the church was, however, never finished, owing to want of funds. Here he and his congregation continued to be the central point in London of the Catholic Apostolic church (commonly called the Irvingite church). He paid official visits to the branch churches in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. But his main work was in London, where he was a trustee and administrator of church funds. He died of congestion of the lungs at 3 Byng Place, Gordon Square, on 1 November 1876.

Family

On 20 Nov. 1827 he married Eliza, daughter of James Barclay; she died at 40 Gordon Square, on 3 July 1884, aged 78; by her he had a large family. Of his sons, Christopher Heath (1835–1905), was a well-known surgeon in London, who was best known for his work ''Injuries and Diseases of The Jaws''.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Christopher 1802 births 1876 deaths People educated at St Paul's School, London Irvingites