William John Blew

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William John Blew April 13, 1808 - December 27, 1894 was a translator and hymnist.

Educated at Great Ealing School and Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1830, and M.A. 1832.

On taking Holy Orders, Mr. Blew was Curate of Nuthurst and Cocking, and St. Annes, Westminster, and for a time Incumbent of St. John's next Gravesend.

Besides translation from Homer (Iliad, books i, ii, etc.) and Aeschylus (Agamemnon the King), and works in the Book of Common Prayer, including a paraphrase on a translation of the same in Latin, he edited the Breviarium Aberdonense 1854; and published a pamphlet on Hymns and Hymn Books, 1858; and (with Dr. H.J. Gauntlett) the Church Hymn and Tune Book, 1852, 2nd. ed. 1855. The hymns in the last work are chiefly translations by Mr. Blew of Latin hymns. They were written from 1845 to 1852, and printed on fly-sheets for the use of his congregation. Many of these translations have come into common use.

Mr Blew has also translated the Altar Service of the Church of England in the year 1548, into English. His translations are terse, vigorous, musical and of great merit. They have been strangely overlooked by the compilers of recent hymn books.