William Pennefather

William Pennefather (1816–1873) was an Irish Anglican cleric who spent most of his adult life in England. He was famous for his hymns and sermons, and also for missionary work with his wife Catherine Pennefather. Catherine founded several projects in his name in the twenty years after his death.

Early life

He was born in Dublin, youngest son of the highly respected High Court judge Richard Pennefather, and his wife Jane Bennet. His father came from a long established family of landowners in County Tipperary, while his mother was the daughter of another High Court judge, John Bennett. One of his uncles was Edward Pennefather, a distinguished barrister and judge. Among his cousins was General Sir John Pennefather.

He went to school first in Dublin, then to a private school at Westbury on Trym near Bristol, where he was nicknamed "the saintly boy". His house in Barnet became a meeting place for evangelicals of all social classes and walks of life "from noblemen to farmers", and he began in 1856 a famous series of conferences on inter-denominational missionary work. Shortly before his arrival, the ancient village had been linked to central London by the opening of its railway station, making it easy to make and receive visits. There in 1860 he and his wife began to train deaconesses, a role similar to a nurse (not then a fully respectable occupation) and a social worker (then unknown). This became the Deaconess Institution, the first in the English-speaking world.

The Deaconess Institution trained well-educated young women in theory and practice for two years at Mildmay, before sending them to full-time careers in outlying missions in London or further afield. There were "About 200 deaconesses at any one time; [their] distinctive uniform allowed them to work in roughest areas unmolested".

In 1869 the Pennefathers built a large hall at Mildmay, to host the annual conferences and to serve as the centre for several missionary organisations. The Conference Hall, abutting the south side of Newington Green, had three stories and sat up to 3000 people. It was used throughout the week by 20 organisations, and on Sunday the services were led by different denominations. Up to 600 men attended its night school. Mildmay founded or nurtured organisations such as the Dorcas Society, a charitable sewing circle; Caroline Hanbury's initiative to distribute flowers to hospitals; an orphanage training girls for domestic service; Mildmay Lads' Institute, to keep boys out of trouble; Metropolitan Free Dormitory Association, a homeless shelter involving Lord Shaftesbury; children's services, stimulated by a visit from American evangelist Edward Payson Hammond. The Railway Mission and the Young Women's Christian Association were for a time headquartered at Mildmay Mission. Mrs Pennefather brought together the Working Girls' Institute (founded 1855) to form the YWCA.

He was remembered as one of the most influential mission preachers of his time. He was the author of numerous hymns, of which probably the best-known is "Jesus, Stand Among Us". He also published several books of sermons.

The Mildmay Conference Hall was demolished in the 1940s; council housing was built on its site.

Mildmay is an HIV charity which traces its roots back to Pennefather and his Church-sponsored hospital. Mildmay Mission Hospital operates in London, with related work abroad.