August 23rd Rev. George Rundle Prynne (Birth)
     

West Looe – born Rev. George Rundle Prynne (1818 – 1903) was a famous hymn writer and theologian. 

A descendant of the well known Puritan of Newlyn, William Prynne, he studied at both Cambridge and Oxford and, ordained in 1842, was  appointed to the living of Tywardreath, nominated by Robert Peel, the then Prime Minister.

Just a year later, he became the Rector of St. Levan and St. Sennen and then, just another year later, he became the Vicar of St. Peter’s Church in Plymouth which position he held until his death.

Prynne was a prolific writer and was most famous for  ‘The Eucharistic Manual’ (1865) which was criticised and censured by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley.  His other prose works include ‘Truth and Reality of the Eucharistic Sacrifice’ (1894) and ‘Devotional Instructions on the Eucharistic Office’ (1903), ‘The Soldier's Dying Visions, and other Poems and Hymns’ (1881) and ‘Via Dolorosa’ as well as collections of sermons.

Prynne enjoyed a reputation as a hymn writer and his compilation ‘A Hymnal’ (1875) contained his popular hymn, ‘Jesu, meek and gentle’.  He was also heavily involved in the revision of the standard Anglican hymnbook, ‘Hymns Ancient and Modern’.


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