Whytehead, Thomas

(1815-1843)

   He was born at Thormanby in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a clergyman who died young. His education was at grammar school and at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he won several poetry prizes. He graduated B.A. in 1837 and M.A. in 1840. He was classical lecturer at Clare College, Oxford, from 1838, but was ordained in 1839 as curate of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight. During 1841 he composed an ode for the installation of the Duke of Northumberland as chancellor of Cambridge University, which was set to music by Thomas Attwood Walmisley. He set out as a missionary to New Zealand in 1841, but died soon after arrival. Almost his last act was to translate the hymn "Glory to Thee, My God This Night" into Maori rhyming verse (written by Ken, Thomas, see entry). His poetry publications: The Death of the Duke of Gloucester, 1835. The Empire of the Sea, 1836. Latin and Greek Epigrams, 1836. Poems, 1842. Some of his other poems: "Last of Creation's Days," "Resting from his work today," "Sabbath of the Saints of Old."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/index.htm). The Hymnal [of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA]. "Resting from his work today" by Thomas Whytehead. (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/anonymous/eh1916.h165.html).