William J. (William Josiah) Irons

Born on September 12, 1812, at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, William Josiah Irons was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, graduating in 1833. He entered the Church of England and served in a series of livings, including Newington, Walworth, Barkway, and Brompton, later becoming a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral.

Irons wrote widely on Christian doctrine and devotion, and he is especially noted for hymn translations and religious prose. His version of the great Latin hymn Dies irae helped carry medieval church poetry into English-speaking worship and reading.

Later in life he served at Wadingham in Lincolnshire and then at St Mary Woolnoth in London. He died on June 19, 1883, leaving behind the record of a long clerical career shaped by preaching, pastoral work, and theological writing.