Josiah Conder

Josiah Conder (1789-1855). Courtesy Cyberhymnal.

Josiah Conder
Born	1789 London
Died	1855
Nationality	English
Occupation	writer

Josiah Conder (17 September 1789 - 27 December 1855) was an English poet, bookseller, and editor.

Life

Overview

Conder, correspondent of Robert Southey and well-connected to Romantic authors of his day, was editor of British literary magazine The Eclectic Review, the Nonconformist and abolitionist newspaper The Patriot, the author of romantic verses, poetry, and many popular hymns that survive to this day. His most ambitious non-fiction work was the 30-volume worldwide geographical tome The Modern Traveller; and his best-selling compilation book The Congregational Hymn Book. Conder, a prominent London Congregationalist, was an abolitionist, and also took an active part in seeking to repeal British anti-Jewish laws.

Youth and education

Conder was born in Falcon Street, Aldersgate, London, on 17 September 1789. He was the 4th son of Thomas Conder, a map engraver and bookseller (who died in June 1831, aged 84) and a staunch Nonconformist.

In 1796 Josiah was attacked by smallpox, and the disease entirely destroyed the sight in his right eye. Fearing the possible loss of his other eye, he was sent to Hackney for electrical treatment, under Rev. Mr. Palmer at Hackney. His physician became his teacher, educating him in French, Latin and other studies. At the age of 10 he contributed essays to the Monthly Preceptor, and was rewarded with 2 silver medals for his papers.

At 13 he left school, and entered his father's bookselling business, at 30 Bucklersbury in the city of London, where in his leisure he carried out a system of self-education.

To the 11th number of the Athenæum (1806), edited by Dr. Aikin, he contributed some lines entitled "The Withered Oak," and about this time he formed the acquaintance of James Montgomery and of Ann Taylor. His poetical contributions to various periodicals being well received, in 1810 he published an anonymous volume, entitled The Associate Minstrels, to which Ann and Jane Taylor and others contributed. It reached a 2nd edition within 3 years.

Career

In the autumn of 1811 his father's health obliged him to retire from the business, to which the son succeeded. On 8 February 1816 he married Joan Elizabeth, 2nd daughter of Roger Thomas of Southgate, Middlesex, and granddaughter on her mother's side of sculptor Louis Francis Roubillac. He brought his bride home to his new shop at 18 St. Paul's Churchyard, and here they resided until 1819, when he disposed of the business to B.J. Holdsworth.

He became proprietor of the Eclectic Review in 1814, and he retained the management of this periodical until 1837, when be transferred it to Dr. Thomas Price, having during his editorship rendered much service to the dissenting interest.

He was a great letter writer, and kept up a correspondence with James Montgomery, Robert Southey, Rev. Robert Hall, Rev. John Foster, and other literary men of the day. In 1818 he brought out On Protestant Nonconformity, in 2 volumes, of which a 2nd edition appeared in 1822.

In 1824 he entered into an engagement with James Duncan of Paternoster Row to edit the afterwards well-known series of the Modern Traveller, undertaking initially to furnish the volume on Palestine only. Ultimately he compiled the whole set, having assistance in just a couple of volumes. This work is comprised in 30 volumes (1826-9), and, although written by a person who never left his native land, constitutes 1 of the most accurate, faithful, and laborious compilations ever published respecting nearly all parts of the world.

On the establishment of the Patriot newspaper in 1832, to represent the principles of evangelical nonconformity, Conder became the editor, an office which he held with honor for 23 years.

In 1836 he edited The Congregational Hymn Book: A supplement to Dr. Watts’s psalms and hymns (2nd edition 1844). To this collection he contributed 56 of his own hymns, some of which had previously appeared in The Star in the East, &c. He also published in 1851 a revised edition of Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, and in the same year a special paper on Watte as "The Poet of the Sanctuary," which was read before the Congregational Union at Southampton.

The labors of his pen were uninterrupted until 9 November 1856, when he had an attack of jaundice, from which he never recovered.

He died at his residence at 28 Belsize Road, St. John's Wood, London, on 27 December 1866, and was buried in Abney Park cemetery on 3 Jan. 1866.

He was a most industrious of man. Throughout his life he had daily to work long hours for the support of himself and his family, yet he found time to act as a preacher, and to keep up an extensive correspondence on religious and literary topics.

Writing

Besides the works already mentioned, he was the author, editor, or compiler of the following: 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo,' a poem, 1812. 'The Village Lecturer,' 1821. ' Thomas Johnson's Reasons for Dissent,' 1821. 'Memoirs of Pious Women, by Gibbons and Burder,' 1823. 'The Star in the East,' with other poems, 1824. 'Remarks on the Controversy respecting the Apocrypha,' 1826. 'The Law of the Sabbath; 1830, new edit. 1862. 'Italy,' 1881, 8 vols. 'Wages or the Whip,' an essay on free and slave labour, 1833. 'A Dictionary of Geography,' 1834. 'The Epistle to the Hebrews, a new translation, with notee,' 1834. 'The Evangelical Almanac,' 1834. 'The Congregational Hymn-book,' 1834, another edit. 1836. 'Narrative of a Residence in South Africa, by T. Pringle, with a sketch of the author,' 1836. 'Illustrations of the Pilgrim's Progress, with a Sketch of the Author,' 1836. 'The Choir and the Oratory, or Praise and Prayeryi 837. 'The Pilgrim's Progress, with a Life of the Author,' 1838. 'An Analytical Sketch of all Religions,' 1838. 'The Literary History of the New Testament,' 1846. 'The Harmony of History with Prophecy, an Explanation of the Apocalypse,' 1849. 'The Psalms of David imitated by I. Watts, revised by J. Conder,' 1861. 'The Poet of the Sanctuary, I. Watts,' 1861. 'Hymns of Prayer and Praise, by J. Conder, edited by Eustace R. Conder,' 1866.

Publications

Poetry

• "The Withered Oak", in The Atheneum XI, 1806.
• "Gloria in excelsis deo," a poem. 1812.
• The Star in the East, with other poems. London: Taylor & Hessey, 1824.
• The Choir and the Oratory; or, Praise and prayer. London: Jackson, 1837.

Non-fiction

• Reviewers Reviewed: Including an enquiry into the moral and intellectual effects of habits of criticism. Oxford, UK: J. Bartlett, 1811.
• On Protestant Non-conformity. London: J. Conder, 1818.
• The Village Lecturer: A series of original discourses, adapted for village congregations and families. London: Ogle, Duncan, 1821.
• Remarks on the Controversy Respecting the Apocrypha (with George Cornelius Gorham). London: B.J. Holdsworth, 1825.
• The Law of the Sabbath: Religious and political. London: Holdsworth & Bell, 1830.
• Italy. (3 volumes), London: J. Duncan (The Modern Traveller), 1831.
• Wages or the Whip: An essay on the comparative cost and productiveness of free and slave labour. London: Hathcard, 1833.
• A Dictionary of Geography: Ancient and modern. London: T. Tegg, 1834.
• A Biographical Sketch of the late Thomas Pringle. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1835.
• An Analytical and Comparative View of All Religions Now Extant among Mankind: With their internal diversities of creed and profession.
• The Literary History of the New Testament. London, Seeley, Burnside, & Seeley, 1845.
• The Harmony of History with Prophecy: An explanation of the Apocalypse. London: John Farquhar Shaw, 1849.

Translated

• The Epistle to the Hebrews: A new translation. London : Holdsworth & Ball, 1834.

Edited

• The Associate Minstrels. London: George Ellerton, for Thomas Conder, 1810; Gale, Curtis & Fenner / John Ballantyne, 1813.
• The congregational hymn-book: A supplement to Dr. Watts's Psalms and hymns. London: Jackson & Walford, for the Congregational Union, 1834.
• Thomas Pringle, Narrative of a residence in South Africa. London: Edward Moxon, 1835.
• John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress (with a life of the author). London: Fisher & Son, 1838.
• The Psalms of David imitated in New Testament language, by I. Watts. Together with his Hymns and spiritual songs (revised by Conder). London: 1851.
• The Poet of the Sanctuary: A centenary commemoration of the labours and services, literary and devotional, of ... Isaac Watts. London: John Snow, 1851.
• The Political Position of Protestant Dissenters in 1853. Eight letters ... reprinted from The Patriot. London: Patriot Office, 1853.
• Hymns of Praise, Prayer, and Devout Meditation. London: J.Forbes, 1856.

Modern Traveller

• The Modern Traveller: A description of the various countries of the globe. London: T. Tegg, 1824; (30 volumes), London: James Duncan, 1829-1830; Boston: Wells & Lilly, 1830-1831.
  • v.1. Palestine.
  • v.2-3. Syria and Asia.
  • v.4. Arabia
  • v.5-6. Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia.
  • v.7-10. India. v.7, v.8, v.9, v.10
  • v.11. Burmah, Siam, &c.
  • v.12-13. Persia and China.
  • v.14. Turkey.
  • v.15-16. Greece.
  • v.17. Russia.
  • v.18-19. Spain and Portugal.
  • v.20-22. Africa. v.20, 21, 22.
  • v.23-24. North America.
  • v.25-26. Mexico and Guatemala.
  • v.27. Columbia.
  • v.28. Peru and Chile.
  • v.29-30. Brazil and Buenos Ayres.
  • v.31-33. Italy. v.1, v.2, v.3

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee (original arrangement)

See also

• List of British poets
• List of English-language hymnists

References

•  Boase, George Clement (1885–1900) "Conder, Josiah" Dictionary of National Biography London: Smith, Elder, pp. 2-3 . Web, May 6, 2016.

External links

Poems

• Josiah Conder (1789-1855) info & 4 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830
• Josiah Conder at Poetry Nook (4 poems)
• Sonnets - The Seasons
• Josiah Conder at PoemHunter (15 poems)
• Josiah Conder at Hymntime
• Josiah Conder at Hymnary

Audio / video

• Josiah Conder at YouTube

Books

• Josiah Conder at Amazon.com

About

• Josiah Conder at Stem Publishing

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Conder, Josiah