Gurney, John Hampden

Author

GURNEY, John Hampden, b Serjeants’ Inn, off Fleet St, London 1802, d St Marylebone, Middlesex (London) 1862. Trinity Coll Cambridge (BA 1824); abandoned law studies in order to be ordained (CofE) 1827. After a curacy at Lutterworth, Leics (a parish made famous by John Wyclif), he became Rector of St Mary’s Bryanston Sq (Marylebone), nr Marble Arch in central London; later, a Prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral. He was active in support of the Religious Tract Soc and SPCK; the author of several historical works and at least three collections of hymns for the parishes he served, with essays on hymnody and psalmody. One, published in 1851 with 300 hymns, became known as The Marylebone Collection. He wrote 17 original texts, one of which (with variations) has proved of lasting value. Nos.202*, 406.