James Shergold Boone (1799–1859) was an English cleric and writer.

Life

Boone was born on 30 June 1799. In 1812 he was sent to

Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...

, and in 1816 he became a student of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, where in 1817 he obtained a Craven scholarship. With an ordinary degree, he took his B.A. 24 May 1820.

Thomas Mozley Thomas Mozley (180617 June 1893) was an English clergyman and writer associated with the Oxford Movement. Early life Mozley was born at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the son of a bookseller and publisher. His brother, James Bowling Mozley, would ...

, in a discursive chapter of his ''Reminiscences'', speculated that the teaching of John Russell at Charterhouse had a negative effect on Boone, considered a brilliant student as a young man. Soon after Boone left Oxford, he was offered a seat in the House of Commons by an owner of a

pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act of 1832, which had a very small electo ...

, but declined the offer. He lectured in London, on the "union and mutual relation" of art and science; and took his degree of M.A. 4 March 1823. For some years he was a master at Charterhouse; but having taken

holy orders In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordination, ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders inclu ...

he accepted in June 1832 the appointment of incumbent of St. John's Church, Paddington. Here he remained until his death on 26 March 1859; that year he was appointed "select preacher" at Oxford, but was prevented by illness from taking up the duties. A brass was erected to his memory in the chancel of St. John's.

Works

Early works

While an undergraduate, Boone won the chancellor's prize for Latin verse on ''The Foundation of the Persian Empire'', and in 1817 the Newdigate for English verse on the subject of "The Farnese Hercules". In 1820 he received the chancellor's prize for the Latin essay. He published ''Men and Things in 1823: a Poem in three Epistles with Notes'', in which he showed admiration for

George Canning George Canning (; 11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as foreign secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the U ...

. Boone wrote ''The Oxford Spy in Verse'', the first four "dialogues" of which appeared in 1818, the fifth and last in 1819. This anonymous satire on Oxford University life created a sensation at the time of its publication. The criticisms it articulated, from the students' point of view, of the university and its tuition, were well-informed, and reflected what some senior members took to be undergraduate concerns. They were also close to points raised at the time in the ''

Edinburgh Review The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929. ''Edinburgh Review'', ...

'', in their concern for modernisation of the syllabus.

Journal editor

In June 1822 the first number of ''The Council of Ten'' was published, a monthly periodical of which Boone was the editor and almost the sole contributor; it lasted a year. Boone was editor of the '' British Critic and Theological Review''. Appointed in 1834, he decided to sharpen the theological focus of the periodical, also cutting back on its function as journal of record for the clergy. He advocated a broad coalition of Protestants, giving immediate offence (according to

Edward Churton Edward Churton (26 January 1800 – July 1874) was an English churchman and Spanish scholar. Life He was born on 26 January 1800 at Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire, the second son of Ralph Churton, archdeacon of St David's. He was educated ...

, in correspondence with

Arthur Philip Perceval Arthur Philip Perceval (22 November 1799 – 11 June 1853) was an English high church Anglican cleric, royal chaplain and theological writer. Life Born on 22 November 1799, he was the fifth and youngest son of Charles George Perceval, 2nd Baron ...

). Boone then came under pressure from the

Tractarians 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 ...

, to include their reviews. By 1837 his position was made untenable by

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

. Boone's attempt to remain above the fray in the row over

Renn Dickson Hampden Renn Dickson Hampden (29 March 1793 – 23 April 1868) was an English Anglican clergyman. His liberal tendencies led to conflict with traditionalist clergy in general and the supporters of Tractarianism during the years he taught at the Univ ...

had earned him the partisan Newman's enmity. Newman, also, was being urged into a divisive approach that would see tractarian contributions as distinctive and noticeable in the ''Review''. In a slow-motion coup, the "mild" liberal views associated with Boone were pushed out, despite the efforts of

Henry Handley Norris Henry Handley Norris (1771–1850) was an English clergyman and theologian. He was the clerical leader of the High Church grouping later known as the Hackney Phalanx, that grew up around him and his friend Joshua Watson. Life The son of Henry Ha ...

of the controlling Hackney Phalanx representing

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 ...

orthodoxy, and Churton.

Sermons and theoretical works

Boone also wrote: * ''An Essay on the Study of Modern History'', 1821. * ''National Education: a Sermon'', 1833. * ''The Educational Economy of England'', Part i. on the ''External Economy of Education; or the Means of providing Instruction for the People'', 1838. * ''The Need of Christianity to Cities: a Sermon'', 1844. Connected with Charles Blomfield's efforts to expand Anglican church provision, this sermon has been called a "jeremiad" against contemporary urban life, attacking its "foul luxuriance". * ''One, Manifold, or, System; Introductory Argument'', open letter addressed to Raikes Currie, 1848. * ''Sermons on Various Subjects and Occasions, with a Brief Appendix on the Modern Philosophy of Unbelief'', 1853. * ''Two Sermons on the Prospect of a General War'', 1854. * ''The Position and Functions of Bishops in our Colonies; a Sermon'', 1856. * ''Sermons chiefly on the Theory of Belief'', 1860.

Family

Boone was twice married. There were no children by either marriage.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Boone, James Shergold 1799 births 1859 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests English magazine editors People educated at Charterhouse School Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford English male poets 19th-century English poets 19th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers Teachers at Charterhouse School