William Walsham How

William Walsham How (13 December 1823 – 10 August 1897) was an English Anglican bishop.

Known as Walsham How, he was the son of a Shrewsbury solicitor; How was educated at Shrewsbury School, Wadham College, Oxford and University College, Durham. He was ordained in 1846, and after a curacy at Kidderminster, began more than thirty years actively engaged in parish work in Shropshire, as curate at the Abbey Church in Shrewsbury in 1848. In 1851 he became Rector of Whittington and was at one point Rural Dean of Oswestry in 1860, then Suffragan Bishop of Bedford (for East London) and in turn Bishop of Wakefield.

Writings

It was during his period at Whittington he wrote the bulk of his published works and founded the first public library in Oswestry. In 1863–1868 he brought out a Commentary on the Four Gospels and he also wrote a manual for the Holy Communion. Published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge during the 1890s under the title "Holy Communion, Preparation and Companion...together with the Collects, Epistles and Gospels" this book was widely distributed and many copies still survive today. In the movement for infusing new spiritual life into the church services, especially among the poor, How was a great force. He took a stand against what he regarded as immoral literature and Thomas Hardy claimed that he had burned a copy of his novel Jude the Obscure. How was much helped in his earlier work by his wife, Frances A. Douglas (died 1887).

Contributions to botany

Walsham How "had an excellent knowledge of the British flora." In 1857 he was one of the founders of the Oswestry and Welshpool Naturalists' Field Club and Archaeological Society. He was at one time its president, and he contributed a paper on "The Botany of Great Orme's Head" (1865). He was also the botanical contributor to The Gossiping Guide for Wales. In 1890 he was president of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. His obituary in respect of his contribution to botany was published in the October 1897 issue of The Naturalist.