Henry Fowler (11 December 1779 – 1838), was an English hymn-writer. Fowler was born at

Yealmpton Yealmpton () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English county of Devon. It is located in the South Hams on the A379 road, A379 Plymouth to Kingsbridge road and is about from Plymouth. Its name derives fr ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

shire. In early life he followed some trade, but occasionally preached in independent meeting-houses in Devonshire and at

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. At length, in October 1813, he 'received a call' to

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 ...

, where he continued until the end of 1819. Ultimately he settled 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 ...

, becoming in July 1820 minister of Gower Street Chapel. He died 16 December 1838, and he was buried on Christmas Day morning at the New Bunhill Fields burying-ground at

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

. As 'a close, searching preacher,’ Fowler had for some years an excellent congregation, and a tolerable one to the close of his life. 'His discourses were delivered chiefly in short, pithy sentences.' It has been said that his own frame of mind seemed, in general, rather gloomy; certainly his autobiography, which he called 'Travels in the Wilderness,’ 8vo, London, 1839, is not cheerful reading. In addition to this and numerous religious tracts and biographies, he wrote 'Original Hymns, Doctrinal, Practical, and Experimental, with prose reflections,’ 2 vols. 18mo, Birmingham, London, 1818–1824, and edited 'A Selection of Hymns, by various authors,’ 18mo, London, 1836. His portrait has been engraved by R. Cooper.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Henry 1779 births 1838 deaths English nonconformist hymnwriters People from South Hams (district) English Christian religious leaders