He was a clergyman, composer and hymnologist born in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England who studied at Cheltenham College followed by being an gaining an award as an exhibitioner at Keble College, Oxford.
In 1880 he was ordained and became Curate of St. Mary’s Church in Shrewsbury followed three years later by becoming the Vicar of Alfreton in Derbyshire. In 1883 he married Edith Denman who died in childbirth the following year. Six years later, in 1889 he married Emilie Augusta Fitzgerald who died in 1913. His daughter, Angela Lucy, died in 1903.
He became Vicar of Abbey Church in Shrewsbury in 1899 and ten years later he took on the position of Rector at Adel Church in Leeds, Yorkshire. In 1918 he became a member of the council for the revision of the Anglican communion service while still at Adel and during the WWI years he deputised at the University of Leeds for the Professor of English Literature who was serving in the war. Three of his sons died during the war. One of his daughters married the composer, organist and BBC broadcaster Sir Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong.
In 1919 he went to London where he took on the position of Master of the Temple and in 1920 married his third wife, Silvia Mary Richards. In 1926 his daughter Hester married the composer, organist and BBC broadcaster Sir Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong. After years more than 20 years in Adel he decided to move to Somerset and become Vicar of Weare. He retired three years later. At some point during his career he had set up a scheme to establish church lectures in universities.
His work as a composer and hymnwriter saw him contributing hymns to publications such as Church Monthly and The Guardian and publishing the book Poems of the Love of England in 1923 and A Picture of Religion in England in 1927. A few of is hymns, of which there are in the region of sixty, include “Come Forth Ye Sick and Poor”, “How Blest the Land Where God is Known”, “Hush All Ye Sounds of War”, “Lord Through This Holy Week of Our Salvation”, “Rejoice Ye Angel in the Sky” and “Ye Sons of God Arise”. His translation of “All Creatures of Our God and King” from Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi which has been included on many music recordings by artists that include the Robert Shaw Chorale, Aled Jones, St. Martin in the Fields Choral Scholars and Winchester Cathedral Choir.
He died in Clifton, Bristol in August 1933 when he was 77 years old.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Draper_(hymnwriter)
- http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/d/r/a/p/draper_wh.htm
- http://s3.spanglefish.com/s/2933/documents/history/rev%20whd%20notice.jpg
- http://s3.spanglefish.com/s/2933/documents/history/rev%20whd%20obit.jpg
- https://www.wearevillage.net/revwhdraper.asp
- http://www.thepeerage.com/p35567.htm
- https://hymnary.org/person/Draper_WH
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1293597-William-H-Draper
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/william-henry-draper-mn0002900554
