JENNER, HENRY LASCELLES (1820-98) was a son of Sir Herbert Jenner Fust, judge of the Court of Arches. Educated at Harrow, he was fond of music and was himself a fine singer and successful composer. At Cambridge he played in the XI and was a scholar of Trinity Hall, where he took his LL.B. (being placed second in the law tripos in 1841). He was ordained deacon (1843) and priest (1844), and held the cures of Chevening (Kent), St Columb Major (Cornwall), Antony (Cornwall) and Brasted (Kent). He became vicar of Preston-by-Wingham, near Sandwich, Kent, in 1854, and played for the Kent XI. In 1852 he was made a minor canon of Canterbury Cathedral. There he founded the choral union and was for five years its precentor, and secretary of the ecclesiological society.

In 1865, on the request of the deanery board in Otago, Archbishop Longley selected Jenner as first bishop of Dunedin, the new diocese about to be established out of the southern portion of Christchurch diocese. Objections to his appointment were lodged, and the rural deanery board rejected the appointment (Feb 1866). Jenner was duly consecrated (Aug 1866), and made preparations for his departure for New Zealand. Meanwhile it came to the knowledge of the people of his prospective diocese that he favoured a rather advanced type of ritual. Bishop Harper warned him in England not to come out, as he had not resigned the new diocese. Accordingly when Jenner arrived in Lyttelton (Jan 1869) Harper forbade him to take any official part in public worship, but allowed him to hold meetings in the hope that his charm of manner and high attainments might heal the breach. Eventually the diocesan synod held its first meeting (17 Apr 1869), Harper being present. A discussion which lasted until 6 a.m. culminated in a decision adverse to the acceptance of Jenner as bishop, and he shortly afterwards sailed for England.

In 1871 the Archbishop of Canterbury reaffirmed his right to the see but said that he advised him to forego it. Jenner did resign in 1871, but protested against Bishop Nevill's assumption of the office. In New Zealand Selwyn insisted that Jenner had been consecrated with as much formality as he himself; that there had been undue delay in lodging a protest against the appointment, and that he was, in fact, the first bishop of Dunedin. This view was upheld by the English bishops in 1872 and 1875.

Jenner had received the degree of D.D. from Cambridge University on his appointment to the bishopric. He continued vicar of Preston until his death (which occurred on 18 Sep 1898). He took a warm interest in the French phase of the Old Catholic movement, and during the period 1882-93 made periodical visits to Paris as Bishop of the Eglise Catholique Gallicane. He published a number of musical compositions, including some much admired hymns.

Crockford; Jacobs; Purchas; Tucker; Hocken, Bibliog.; Otago Daily Times, Jan-May 1869, 3 Nov 1898.

Reference: Volume 1, page 235

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