Christopher Wordsworth (liturgiologist)

Christopher Wordsworth (born Westminster, 26 March 1848; died Salisbury 30 January 1938)^[1] was an English liturgiologist^[2] and author.

Early life and education

He was the second son of Susanna Hatley Frere (1811–1884) and Bishop Christopher Wordsworth,^[3] and a grandson of Christopher Wordsworth, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.^[4] His elder sister, Elizabeth Wordsworth, was the founding Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.^[5]

Wordsworth attended Winchester College, graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, and was a fellow of Peterhouse from 1870 to 1878.^[6]

Career

He was ordained in 1872.^[7] In 1874 he married Mary, daughter of the Rev. Andrew Reeve, vicar of Kimmeridge, Dorset.^[6] He served curacies in Alvechurch and St Giles' Church, Cambridge, and incumbencies at Glaston, Tyneham,^[8] East Holme and Marlborough. He was Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral from 1917 to 1928,^[9] and of Salisbury Cathedral from 1917 until his death.^[10] Among other roles he was Master of St Nicholas' Hospital, Harnham, Salisbury from 1895 to 1937, and Librarian of Salisbury Cathedral from 1913 to 1936.^[6]

Selected works

The British Library catalogue has 39 of Wordsworth's works,^[11] including:

• "University Society in the Eighteenth Century", 1874
• "Scholae Academicae", 1877
• "Sarum Breviary" 3 vols, 1879–86
• "Pontificale of St Andrews", 1885
• "Lincoln Cathedral Statutes", 3 vols, 1892–97
• "Coronation of King Charles I and Tracts of Clement Maydeston", 1892–94
• "Mediaeval Services", 1898
• "Sarum Pye and Salisbury Processions", 1901
• "St Nicholas' Hospital, Salisbury, Charters", 1903
• "Salisbury Cathedral Statutes", 1915