author
William Walsham How
1823–1897
Remembered as both "the poor man's bishop" and "the children's bishop," he paired pastoral warmth with a gift for hymn writing. His best-known hymns, including "For All the Saints" and "It Is a Thing Most Wonderful," have stayed in worship long after the Victorian age.
1 Audiobook
Lighter Moments from the Notebook of Bishop Walsham How
by William Walsham How
About the author
Born in Shrewsbury, England, in 1823, William Walsham How became an Anglican priest after studying at Shrewsbury School, Wadham College, Oxford, and Durham. After a curacy in Kidderminster, he spent more than thirty years in parish ministry in Shropshire, where he built a reputation for steady, practical care and a deep concern for ordinary people.
Later he served as suffragan Bishop of Bedford, working in East London, and in 1888 became the first Bishop of Wakefield. People often remembered him by affectionate nicknames that reflected his ministry: he was known for his kindness to the poor and for the way he wrote and spoke to children with unusual clarity and warmth.
How is also widely loved as a hymn writer. His texts include "For All the Saints," "It Is a Thing Most Wonderful," and "We Give Thee but Thine Own." That mix of strong church leadership, compassionate pastoral work, and memorable hymn writing helps explain why he remains a familiar name in Christian history.