The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Christmas, Henry

CHRISTMAS, or Noel-Fearn, Henry, an English clergyman and author, born in London in 1811, died there, March 10, 1868. He received the degree of A. M. at St. John's college, Cambridge, in 1837, entered into orders, and filled several curacies till 1841, when he became librarian and secretary of Sion college. In 1840-'48, and 1854-'8, he was editor of the “Church of England Quarterly Review;” in 1840-'43 of the “Churchman;” in 1845-'8 of the “British Churchman;” and in 1859-'60, of the “Literary Gazette.” In 1854-'9 he was professor of English history and archæology in the royal society of literature. He was also secretary of the numismatic society, and made a valuable collection of coins which were subsequently sold for a large sum. Besides editing several antiquarian works, contributing to various periodicals, and making translations from the French, German, and Portuguese, he published “Universal Mythology,” “Shores and Islands of the Mediterranean,” “Christian Politics,” “Preachers and Preaching,” “Sin, its Causes and Consequences,” “Cradle of the Twin Giants,” and “Echoes of the Universe.” He also compiled memoirs of the czar Nicholas, and of the sultan Abdul-Medjid.