John Bowring

Sir John Bowring (1792–1872) was an English linguist, translator, editor, politician, diplomat, and hymn writer. Born in Exeter into a Unitarian family, he developed an unusual facility for languages and became known for introducing English readers to European poetry through translations and anthologies. He was appointed editor of the Westminster Review in 1825 and was closely associated with the reformer Jeremy Bentham, whose literary executor he later became.

Bowring served twice in Parliament and held several government and diplomatic appointments. His public career took him to continental Europe and Asia; he became British consul at Canton in 1849, was knighted in 1854, and served as governor of Hong Kong. His political career was sometimes controversial, but his literary work was broad, ranging from travel and political writing to translations and devotional verse.

His sacred poetry appeared in collections including Matins and Vespers and Hymns: as a Sequel to the Matins (1825). Among his hymns that entered use beyond Unitarian circles are “God Is Love; His Mercy Brightens,” “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” and “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night.” Their circulation in many later hymnals shows how Bowring’s biblical imagery and concise devotional language traveled beyond the church tradition in which he wrote.