Renn Dickson Hampden

Renn Dickson Hampden was born in Barbados in 1793, where his father was a colonel of the militia. He received his education at Oriel College, Oxford, graduating with first-class honours in classics and mathematics. He was elected a fellow of Oriel College and became associated with the Oriel Noetics, a group of liberal thinkers. Hampden published several works, including 'Essays on the Philosophical Evidence of Christianity' and 'Parochial Sermons'. In 1829, Hampden returned to Oxford and became a tutor at Oriel. His controversial views on theology and religious dissent led to opposition, particularly after he was nominated for the Regius Professorship of Divinity in 1836. Despite the protests, Prime Minister Lord Melbourne appointed him to the position. Hampden's nomination to the see of Hereford in 1847 also faced significant opposition. As Bishop of Hereford, he maintained a life of scholarly seclusion and oversaw the prosperity of his diocese. He contributed articles on ancient Greek philosophers to the Encyclopædia Britannica, which were later published as 'The Fathers of Greek Philosophy'. Hampden suffered a paralytic seizure in 1866 and died in London in 1868.