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John William Burgon, Dean of Chichester

Dean Burgon.
From here.

John William Burgon, Dean of Chichester (see here),
"Dean Burgon", fundamentalist biblical scholar,
born 21st Aug 1813, Smyrna.
His family went to England 1814.
His father wanted him in family business, but failure of that business in 1841 left him free to enter holy orders as he wished, as an older student.
He was educ Worcester College, Oxford (entered 1841, BA 1845).
He won the Newdigate Prize in 1845 with his poem Petra, about the famous rock-embedded ancient city of Petra, Jordan, famously describing it as: "A rose-red city half as old as time".
Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, 1846 (where his mother's cousin Rev. George Montgomery and in-law Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea had previously been). MA 1848.
High church Anglican. He did not marry.
Vicar of University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, 1863.
Gresham professor of divinity 1867 to death 1888.
Dean of Chichester, Sussex, 1876 to death 1888.

He promoted Biblical inerrancy and Biblical literalism.
He opposed the new ideas from geology of an old earth and from biology of evolution by natural selection.
He opposed allowing women and non-Anglicans into universities.
He opposed the disestablishment of the Irish church.

He died 4th Aug 1888, age 74 yrs.
He was bur Holywell Cemetery, Oxford, with parents.

Inspiration and interpretation (1861)

Inspiration and interpretation: Seven sermons preached before the University of Oxford (1861).

These sermons show why Dean Burgon is an icon to creationists and fundamentalists today.

Sermon II (preached in 1860).

In this sermon, Burgon rejects almost all the major findings of 19th century astronomy, geology, biology and palaeontology because they are incompatible with the Bible. He even expresses confidence (in 1860) that when the scientists think again, they will realise they were wrong and the Bible was right.
Left: From p.40.
Right: From p.49.

References

John William Burgon in [DNB, 1901 supplement]
John William Burgon, late dean of Chichester: a biography, by Edward Meyrick Goulburn, London, 1892.
- Vol. 1
- Vol. 2

Sources yet to be consulted

John William Burgon in modern [DNB]
[Goulburn, 1892] says Dean Burgon left papers containing research on his family history, which he called "Parentalia". Includes research into De Cramer side. Unclear where these papers are.
Papers of J.W. Burgon, Bodleian Library, Oxford. Looks like no family history.
Dean Burgon papers

Memorials to Dean Burgon:
- A memorial window was erected in 1890 on N side of the Lady Chapel of Chichester Cathedral.
- There is also a brass figure of him in the South Transept of Chichester Cathedral.
- A memorial window was erected in 1891 in the W side of the nave of University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford. See photos.
After Dean Burgon:
- The Burgon Hood, a form of academic dress.
- The Burgon Society, devoted to the study of academic dress.
- The Dean Burgon Society, devoted to Biblical inerrancy and Biblical literalism.