Henry Harper
Primate of New Zealand; Bishop of Christchurch; British-born Anglican colonial bishop
About Henry Harper
Lived 1804 – 1893 (aged 89). Henry Harper was a New Zealand anglican priest, cleric and bishop.
Henry John Chitty Harper (28 December 1893) was an Anglican bishop in the second half of the 19th century.
Life Henry John Chitty Harper was born in c. 1804 in Gosport, Hampshire, England, to Tristram Harper and Mary Jellicoe Harper. Tristram Harper (father of Henry John Chitty Harper) was the great-grandson of John Strachey. Harper was baptised on 9 January 1804, educated at The Queen's College, Oxford and ordained in 1832. He was Chaplain of Eton College until December 1840 then Vicar of St Mary's, Stratfield Mortimer. In 1856 he was appointed to the episcopate as Bishop of Christchurch. Harper and his family arrived on 23 December 1856 in Lyttelton on the Egmont. and upon receiving in July 1869 notice of Selwyn's resignation, he became Primate of New Zealand; he resigned the Primacy on 5 September 1889 and his See on 31 March 1890, in ill-health. He died on 28 December 1893 and is buried at Barbadoes Street Cemetery.
Family On 12 December 1829 at St Maurice, Winchester, Harper married Emily Wooldridge. They had 15 children. Another son, Charles John Harper, owned various large farms and unsuccessfully stood for election to the House of Representatives in the electorate in .
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Important facts
People in Henry Harper's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henry Harper's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry Harper?
Primate of New Zealand; Bishop of Christchurch; British-born Anglican colonial bishop (1804–1893)
When was Henry Harper born?
Henry Harper was born on 9 January 1804 in England.
When did Henry Harper die?
Henry Harper died on 28 December 1893 in Christchurch.
What was Henry Harper's occupation?
Henry Harper was an anglican priest, cleric and bishop.
What nationality was Henry Harper?
Henry Harper was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Henry Harper (bishop)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Harper. https://biography.guide/henry-harper-anglican-priest/
MLA: "Henry Harper." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-harper-anglican-priest/.
Chicago: "Henry Harper." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-harper-anglican-priest/.
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