Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Browne, Henry

by Alfred Goodwin

BROWNE, HENRY (1804–1875), classical and biblical scholar, son of the Rev. Henry John Browne, rector of Crownthorpe, Norfolk, was born in 1804. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he gained Bell's university scholarship in 1823; he graduated B.A. in 1826, and M.A. in 1830. From 1842 to 1847 he was principal of the theological college, Chichester; on 9 Dec. 1842 he was collated to the prebendal stall of Waltham in Chichester cathedral; in 1843 he was appointed examining chaplain to the bishop of Chichester; and in 1854 he was preferred to the rectory of Pevensey in the same diocese. Here he remained till his death, 19 June 1875. Besides editions and translations of the classics, Browne applied himself chiefly to the elucidation of sacred chronology. His published works are numerous:

1. 'Ordo Sæclorum, a treatise on the Chronology of Holy Scripture.' The argument, which is subtle, is mainly on the same lines as Clinton's, and the latest contemporary knowledge of oriental archæology is brought to bear on the biblical statements (1844).
2. 'Examination of the Ancient Egyptian Chronographies,' commenced in 1852 in Arnold's 'Theological Critic'
3. 'Remarks on Mr. Greswell's "Fasti Catholici"' (1852). This is a criticism which aims at completely annihilating the conclusions of Greswell.
4. He translated for the 'Library of the Fathers' seventeen short treatises of St. Augustine, in conjunction with C. L. Cornish, and also St. Augustine's Homilies on the Gospel and First Epistle of St. John (1838, &c.)
5. Several volumes of Greek and Latin classics for Arnold's 'School and College Series' (1851, &c.)
6. ' A translation of Madvig's 'Greek Syntax' (1847).
7. 'A Handbook of Hebrew Antiquities' (1851).
8. 'An English-Greek Lexicon,' conjointly with Rädersdorf (1856).
9. 'Hierogrammata' (1848). The aim is to show that Egyptian discoveries do not invalidate the Mosaic account.

He was also the author of several articles in the last edition (1862-6) of Kitto's ' Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature.'

[Men of the Time, ninth edition ; Le Neve's Fasti (Hardy), i. 285; British Museum Catalogue.]

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