Whiting, William

Author

b Kensington, Middx (W London) 1825, d Winchester, Hants 1878. After schooling in Clapham, S London, he trained as a teacher at King Alfred’s Coll, Winchester, 1841–42. He remained at Winchester as Master of the Winchester College Choristers’ Sch from 1842 to the end of his life. Said to have been frail and short-sighted, he also had a club foot which earned him the nickname ‘Hoppy’. In 1851 he published Rural Thoughts and Other Poems (with no hymn texts), but he is one of those authors whose lasting achievement lay in the writing of one hymn which has been universally-recognised (at least until recently) and of unique national significance. In 1867 he also pubished a Lat version; Julian lists a dozen others which have not survived. Ironically, he is not known to have had any special connection with or experience of the sea. No.915.