The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Jacobs, Very Rev. Henry
Jacobs, Very Rev. Henry, D.D., Dean of Christchurch, N.Z., son of William Hearne Jacobs, was born at Chale Abbey, Isle of Wight, on Jan. 3rd, 1824, and educated at the Charterhouse, where he obtained an exhibition to Queen's College, Oxford, of which he was Michel Exhibitioner from 1841 to 1845, Scholar 1845 to 1848, and Fellow 1848 to 1851. He proceeded B.A. (first class Lit. Hum.) in 1845, M.A. in 1848, and was ordained deacon in 1847 and priest in 1848. From 1847 to 1848 he was curate of Bussage, Gloucestershire, and in 1848-9 headmaster of St. Nicholas' College, Shoreham. In 184950 he was curate of All Saints', Poplar, and in Dec. 1850 arrived at Lyttelton, N.Z., as classical professor of the college which it was proposed to open in the new settlement of Canterbury, where he performed the first Church of England service. In April 1852 Mr. Jacobs became headmaster of the Christ's College Grammar School, and remained so till 1863, when he became incumbent of the parish of Christchurch. In 1864, having declined the bishopric of Nelson, he was made archdeacon, and in June 1866 he became Dean of Christchurch. He has been sub-warden of Christ's College since 1853, and was incumbent of St. Michael and All Angels', Christchurch, from 1863 to 1873. In August 1880 he took the degrees of B.D. and D.D. of the University of Oxford by accumulation. Dr. Jacobs visited England, for the first time since his departure to New Zealand, in 1890. The Dean was married firstly, at All Saints', Poplar, London, on August 29th, 1850, to Miss Charlotte Emily Corrick; and secondly, at St. Michael and All Angels', Christchurch, N.Z., on April 20th, 1871, to Miss Emily Rose Thompson. He has published poems, and a volume from his pen descriptive of the Church of England in New Zealand was published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, in their "Colonial Church Histories" series in 1889.