Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Fausset, Andrew Robert
FAUSSET, ANDREW ROBERT (1821–1910), divine, born on 13 Oct. 1821 at Silverhill, co. Fermanagh, was the son of the Rev. William Fausset by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Fausset, provost of Sligo. The family, of French origin, had been settled in co. Fermanagh for more than a century. Educated first at Dungannon Royal School, he obtained at Trinity College, Dublin, a Queen's scholarship in 1838, the first university scholarship and the vice-chancellor's prizes for Latin verse and Greek verse in 1841, the vice-chancellor's Greek verse prize and the Berkeley gold medal in 1842. He graduated B.A. in 1843 (senior moderator in classics), and won the vice-chancellor's Latin verse prize both in that year and in 1844. He obtained the divinity testimonium (second class) in 1845, and graduated M.A. in 1846, proceeding B.D. and D.D. in 1886.
On graduating, Fausset became a successful 'coach' at Trinity College, Dublin, but, drawn to parochial work, was ordained deacon in 1847 and priest in 1848 by the bishop of Durham, and served from 1847 to 1859 as curate of Bishop Middleham, a Durham colliery village. From 1859 until his death he was vicar of the poor parish of St. Cuthbert's, York. In 1885 he was made a prebendary of York. A good scholar and an eloquent preacher, he was an evangelical of strongly protestant sympathies, and wrote much in support of his convictions. He died at York on 8 Feb. 1910. Fausset was thrice married: (1) in 1859 to Elizabeth, daughter of William Knowlson, of York, by whom he had three sons and one daughter; (2) in 1874 to Agnes, daughter of Major Porter, of Hembury Fort, Honiton, by whom he had one son; and (3) in 1889 to Frances, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Strange, vicar of Bishop Middleham.
Fausset showed sound scholarship in critical editions of 'The Comedies of Terence' (omitting the 'Eunuch') (1844); of Homer's 'Iliad,' i.-viii. (1846), one of the first editions in English to take account of the criticism of Wolff, Niebuhr and Grote; and of 'Livy,' i.-iii., with prolegomena and notes (1849); and in translations of the 'Hecuba' (1850) and the 'Medea' (1851) of Euripides. His religious publications, most of which had wide circulation, were:
- 'Scripture and the Prayer-Book in Harmony,' 1854; revised ed. 1894, an answer to objections against the liturgy.
- Vols. ii. and iv. (Job, Ecclesiastes, Malachi, Corinthians I and Revelation) in the 'Critical and Explanatory Pocket Bible,' 1863-4.
- Vols, iii., iv., and vi. (Psalms and Proverbs) in the 'Critical, Experimental and Practical Commentary,' 1864–70.
- 'Studies in the CL. Psalms,' 1877; 2nd edit. 1885, an application of the argument from undesigned coincidences.
- 'The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia,' originally issued in parts, in volume form, 1878.
- 'Signs of the Times,' 1881.
- 'Commentary on Judges,' 1885.
- 'Guide to the Study of the Book of Common Prayer,' 1894, 3rd edit. 1903.
Fausset also first translated into English J. A. Bengel's 'Gnomon of the New Testament' (1857), with notes and a life of Bengel.
[Record, 18 Feb. 1910; Gospel Magazine, April 1910; private information and personal knowledge.]