Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Johnson, George Henry Sacheverell

by George Clement Boase

JOHNSON, GEORGE HENRY SACHEVERELL (1808–1881), dean of Wells, third son of the Rev. Henry Johnson, was born at Keswick, Cumberland, in 1808. He matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 13 May 1825, aged 17, and was elected Ireland scholar of the university in 1827, and became mathematical scholar in 1831, graduating B.A. in 1829, and M.A. in 1833. He was fellow of his college from 1829 to 1855, Greek lecturer, chaplain, and tutor 1842, bursar 1844, and dean 1848. While tutor he had among his pupils Tait, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury; Thomson, afterwards archbishop of York; Stanley, afterwards dean of Westminster; and the first Earl of Selborne. In 1834 he served as mathematical examiner at Oxford, and again in 1835, 1850, 1851, and 1852. He was Savilian professor of Astronomy from 1839 to 1842, Whyte professor of moral philosophy from 1842 to 1845, and one of the Whitehall preachers from 1852 to 1854. On 18 Jan. 1838 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He served on the royal commission of 1850 which inquired into the constitution and revenues of the university of Oxford, and on that appointed in 1854 to revise the statutes of the university and of the colleges and halls. On 27 March 1854 he was appointed dean of Wells, and in the following year became also vicar of St. Cuthbert's, Wells. His death took place at Weston-super-Mare on 4 Nov. 1881, and he was buried in the Palm churchyard, Wells Cathedral, on 10 Nov. He married, at Romsey, on 20 April 1854, Lucy, youngest daughter of Rear-admiral Robert O'Brien. He edited the Psalms for the ‘Speaker's Commentary,’ 1880, and published ‘Sermons preached in Wells Cathedral,’ 1857.

[Times, 7 Nov. 1881, p. 9; Guardian, 9 Nov. 1881, p. 1592.]

G. C. B.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.169
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

Page	Col.	Line
12	i	7 f.e.	Johnson, George H. S.: for Earl Selborne read Earl of Selborne
	ii	9	for Wells read St. Cuthbert's, Wells