Henry Francis Lyte Brixham's Poet and Priest ISBN: 9780900771927 (hb) by Basil Garnett Skinner PRICE: DESCRIPTION: $52.00 (hb) Henry Francis Lyte moved to All-Saints Church in Brixham, Devon in 1824, where he became chairman of the schools committee, established the first Sunday school in the Torbay area and PUBLICATION DATE: created a Sailors' Sunday School. The primary object of both schools was to provide education for 30 May 1974 (hb) children and seamen for whom other schooling was almost impossible. He organised an Annual Treat for the 800-1000 Sunday school children, which included a short religious service followed by BINDING: tea and sports in the field. Shortly after Lyte's arrival in Brixham, he attracted such large crowds that Hardback the church had to be enlarged. PAGES: Lyte was an expert flute player, spoke Latin, Greek, and French; enjoyed discussing literature; and 174 was knowledgeable about wild flowers. At his Brixham home, Berry Head House, a former military hospital, Lyte created a magnificent library largely of theology and old English poetry, described in PUBLISHER: his obituary as one of the most extensive and valuable in the West of England. University of Exeter Press Nevertheless, Lyte was also able to identify with his parish of fishermen, visiting their homes and IMPRINT: their ships in harbour, supplying every vessel with a Bible, and compiling songs and a manual of University of Exeter Press devotions for use at sea. A friend of Samuel Wilberforce, he also opposed slavery, organising an 1833 petition to Parliament requesting it be abolished in Great Britain. READER INTERESTS: Literary Studies In poor health throughout his life, Lyte suffered various respiratory illnesses including asthma and Religious Studies bronchitis, and by the 1840s, he was spending much of his time in the warmer climates of France and Italy. Lyte spent the summer of 1847 at Berry Head, writing his best known hymn, Abide With Me. After one final sermon to his congregation he left again for Italy, and died at Nice on 20 November 1847. Other well-known hymns include Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven and Pleasant are Thy Courts Above. .