JACOBS, HENRY (1824-1901) was born at St Catherine's, Isle of Wight, the son of William Hearne Jacobs. At the age of 10 he entered the Charterhouse, where he was captain of the school in 1841. He went on to Queen's College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1845 (first class in classics), and later proceeding M.A. In 1848 he was elected a fellow of Queen's. Ordained the previous year, he was appointed curate of Bassall, Gloucestershire, and in 1848 headmaster of St Nicholas College at Shoreham. He then became vicar of All Saints, Poplar, and in 1850 was chosen as classical professor of the proposed Christ's College in the Canterbury settlement.

Jacobs arrived in the Sir George Seymour and conducted the first service at Lyttelton. In 1851 he held the first service at St Michael's, Christchurch. In Apr 1852 he opened Christ's College grammar school as headmaster. He resigned in 1863 and declined the bishopric of Nelson (1864), to become archdeacon of Christchurch. This post he resigned in 1866 on being appointed dean of the Cathedral. In 1873 he relinquished the charge of St Michael's, and he was again archdeacon of Christchurch (1876-1900). In 1878 Jacobs was commissary while the Bishop was attending the Lambeth conference, and at that time he was created a doctor of divinity. He was for some years editor of the New Zealand Church News, and in 1889 published his history of the Church in New Zealand. He was a distinguished classical scholar, and wrote a good deal of verse, notably Shadows of the Old Church (1870), and A Lay of the Southern Cross (1893). He was much interested in philanthropies in Christchurch, and was associated for many years with the St John Ambulance Association. Jacobs died on 6 Feb 1901.

Buller; Jacobs, op. cit.; Cycl. N.Z., iii; Lyttelton Times, 7 Feb 1901

Reference: Volume 1, page 233

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