William Hiley Bathurst

William H. Bathurst (28 August 1796 – 25 November 1877) was an Anglican clergyman and hymnist. He was born at Cleve Dale, Mangotsfield, near Bristol, England. His father was the Rt. Hon. Charles Bragge, and his mother was Charlotte Addington. His maternal grandmother's surname was Hiley, which contributed to his middle name. In September 1829, Bathurst married Mary Anne Rhodes, and they had four children.

Bathurst was educated at Winchester College before attending Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1818. He was ordained as a deacon in 1819 and as a priest in 1820. In 1820, he was presented by his kinsman, Henry, the Third Earl of Bathurst, to the rectory of Barwick-in-Elmet, Yorkshire. He served as the rector there for thirty-two years.

In 1852, Bathurst resigned from the rectory due to conscientious scruples concerning parts of the baptismal and burial services in the Book of Common Prayer. Subsequently, he retired from clerical duties and moved to Darley Dale near Matlock, Derbyshire, where he engaged in literary pursuits for approximately eleven years.

In May 1863, upon the death of his elder brother, who left no heirs, Bathurst inherited his father’s estate. Following this inheritance, he relocated to Lydney Park. Bathurst died at Lydney Park on 25 November 1877. His remains were interred in Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans.

In his early years of ministry, Bathurst composed hymns and versified many of the psalms. His works were published in 1830 in a volume titled "Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use." This volume contains 150 psalms and 206 hymns, with all but 18 of the psalms and all the hymns composed by him.

Among his notable works are translations and original compositions. In 1849, he published "The Georgics of Virgil: Translated by W. H. B." and "Metrical Musings; or Thoughts on Sacred Subjects in Verse." His hymn compositions include titles such as "Hark! the distant isles proclaim," "Holy Spirit from on high," "Jesus, thy Church with longing eyes," "Eternal Spirit, by whose power," "O for a faith that will not shrink," "O for That Flame of Living Fire," and "O Saviour, may we never rest, Till Thou art formed within."

References regarding Bathurst's hymns and scholarly assessments include John Julian's "A Dictionary of Hymnology" (June 1907), the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, and genealogical sources such as thePeerage.com and Bethany Lutheran College's Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary Handbook.