Henry Melvill Gwatkin

Born in Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, in 1844, Henry Melvill Gwatkin was an English theologian and church historian who studied at Shrewsbury and St John's College, Cambridge. He won academic prizes early in his career, became a fellow of St John's, and in 1891 was appointed Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge, later holding a fellowship at Emmanuel College.

Gwatkin is best remembered for his writing on the early church, especially Studies of Arianism and Early Church History to A.D. 313. Sources also describe him as an important figure in establishing ecclesiastical history as a respected subject at Cambridge. Alongside his historical and theological work, he had a notable interest in natural history, particularly the study of molluscs.

Some accounts note that scarlet fever in childhood left him with hearing loss, yet he maintained an intense scholarly life and a wide range of interests. He died in Cambridge in 1916. No suitable verified portrait image was confirmed from the sources reviewed here, so a profile image is not included.