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Henry Christmas (1811 – 10 March 1868),[1] at the end of his life going by the surnameNoel-Fearn, was an English clergyman, a man of letters and editor of periodicals, known also as anumismatist.
Born in London in 1811, he was the only son of Robert Noble Christmas ofTaunton, by Jane, daughter of Samuel Fearn. He was educated atSt John's College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. in 1837, M.A. 1840.[2] He was ordained in 1837, and after serving several curacies was in 1841 appointed librarian and secretary ofSion College, holding the office till 1848.[3]
From 1840 to 1843 and from 1854 to 1858 Christmas edited theChurch of England Quarterly Review. He also editedThe Churchman (1840–3), theBritish Churchman (1845–8), and theLiterary Gazette (1859–60). He was for some years lecturer atSt Peter's Church, Cornhill, and later filled the curacy ofGarlickhithe. He was also for some time Sunday evening preacher atSt. Mildred's in the Poultry.[3]
Christmas was a versatile scholar: he was aFellow of the Royal Society, and of theSociety of Antiquaries of London, a member of the Royal Academy of History at Madrid, and (in 1854–9) professor of English history and archæology in theRoyal Society of Literature (England). He died in London suddenly, fromapoplexy, on 11 March 1868, aged 57, and was buried inNorwood cemetery. Shortly before his death he had assumed the name of Noel-Fearn. He married, in 1838, Eliza Fox, by whom he had one son and three daughters.[3]
Christmas's works included:
Christmas translatedAugustin Calmet'sPhantom World (1850),Christoph Martin Wieland'sRepublic of Fools (1861), and other writings. He edited works includingSamuel Pegge'sAnecdotes of the English Language (1844), theWorks of Bishop Ridley (1841), and theSelect Works of Bishop Bale (1849), the last two for theParker Society.
Christmas collected British, Saxon, and English silver and copper coins, and also specimens of the Scotch, Irish, and Anglo-Gallic series. From June 1844 till 1847 he acted as joint honorary secretary of theNumismatic Society of London, and madecontributions to theNumismatic Chronicle (Old Series). He also compiled part of a work on British copper currencies: a few copies were printed in 1864, but were never published. Portions of the text and the wood-blocks of coins prepared for Christmas's work were by H. Montagu inCopper, Tin, and Bronze Coinage of England (1885). His collection was sold by auction atSotheby's from 1 February 1864.[3]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Wroth, Warwick William (1887). "Christmas, Henry". InStephen, Leslie (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 10. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 292–293.
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