John Richard Vernon

Ordained in the Church of England, John Richard Vernon studied at Hertford College, Oxford, and later served as rector of St Audries in Somerset from 1872 until his death in 1902. He was also known as a hymn writer, contributing the hymn "There's peace and rest in Paradise" to the 1889 supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern.

As an author, he is best remembered for The Harvest of a Quiet Eye and other collections of short reflections, including books such as Random Truths in Common Things and Gleanings After Harvest. His writing is warm, observant, and devotional, drawing small lessons from daily experience rather than grand events.

That mix of pastoral work and meditative prose gives his books their lasting charm. They feel companionable and unhurried, inviting readers to pause, notice familiar things, and find wisdom in them.