H. R. (Hugh Reginald) Haweis

Born in Egham, Surrey, Hugh Reginald Haweis was an English cleric and author whose career blended religion, public speaking, and musical criticism. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, later served under Garibaldi in Italy, and was ordained in the Church of England. He went on to become especially well known as a preacher at St James's, Marylebone, where his animated style drew large congregations.

Haweis wrote widely and accessibly for general readers. Alongside sermons and religious works, he published books on music, travel, and cultural life, including well-known titles such as Music and Morals and My Musical Life. His writing helped bring musical discussion to a broader audience, and he was remembered as a lively, unconventional voice in late Victorian public life.

He was married to the writer and illustrator Mary Eliza Haweis, and their son Stephen Haweis became a painter. Today he is remembered both as a popular preacher and as a versatile Victorian man of letters whose interests reached far beyond the pulpit.