Sparrow-Simpson, William John

Author

(aka Simpson, W J S), b London 1859, d Ilford, Essex 1952. St Paul’s Sch; Trinity Coll Cambridge (BA, 1st in theology, MA). He was ordained in 1882 and served in 3 central London parishes (Albany St, Regent’s Park and St Mary Aldermary) before moving to Ilford as Chaplain of St Mary’s Hospital, 1904–51. Among his many books were biblical and historical studies, reference works which he edited, biographies of Bernard of Clairvaux (1895) and Augustine of Hippo (1919), The Prophet of the Highest (1895, on John the Baptist), The Church and the Bible (1897) and The Claims of Jesus Christ (1900). He also contributed to major Bible dictionaries, and gained his Cambridge BD in 1909, DD 1911. But he is best known as the author and arranger of the text of John Stainer’s The Crucifixion (1887) including several hymns, one of which is in wide use in varied versions. No.836.