author
Henry Alford
1810–1871
A Victorian churchman and scholar best remembered for his influential work on the Greek New Testament, he also wrote the enduring harvest hymn "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come." His career joined serious biblical study with a gift for clear, lively writing.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in London on October 7, 1810, Henry Alford became one of the best-known Anglican scholars of the 19th century. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned high honors and later became a fellow, then went on to serve in the Church of England in parish ministry before rising to national prominence.
Alford is especially remembered for his multi-volume Greek Testament, a major scholarly work that helped shape English-speaking New Testament study. Beyond biblical scholarship, he was remarkably wide-ranging: a preacher, poet, hymnodist, critic, and writer with a reputation for energy and versatility.
In 1857 he was appointed Dean of Canterbury, a post he held until his death on January 12, 1871. Many readers and singers know him today through the hymn "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come," which has kept his name alive well beyond academic and church circles.