Daniel Henry Haigh
Encyclopedia
Daniel Henry Haigh was a noted Victorian
scholar of Anglo-Saxon history and literature, as well as a runologist
and numismatist
.
in Lancashire
, but his family came from Huddersfield
and he grew up in Yorkshire
, so he considered himself a Yorkshireman. His father died when he was still a child, and his mother when he was sixteen, leaving him the eldest of three orphan brothers, who shared a large inheritance. Haigh initially went into business in Leeds, but soon turned to the church, and trained to become an Anglican
priest at St Saviour's church in Leeds
. However, he lost faith in the Church of England, and on New Year's Day
1847 he joined the Roman Catholic church. On 8 April 1848 he was ordained as a priest at the seminary
of St Mary's College, Oscott. He used his personal fortune to build a church at Erdington
, near Birmingham
. The church
was designed by Augustus Pugin, and cost him £15,000. The foundation stone was laid on the feast of St Augustine
(26 May 1848), and was consecrated by Bishop Ullathorne
on 11 June 1850. He lived at Erdington, as a priest, where he shared his house with about a dozen orphans. He retired in 1876, suffering from poor health and bronchitis
, and went to live at St Mary's College, Oscott, where he died on 10 May 1879 after a short illness.
history and literature, and wrote two influential works on Anglo-Saxon history, The Anglo-Saxon Sagas and The Conquest of Britain by the Saxons, both published in 1861. He also wrote several monographs on Anglo-Saxon Numismatics
, and a number of studies of Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions
. However, his transcriptions and interpretations of runic monuments have been criticized by Raymond Page as "often erratic, showing an eagerness to find runes where none exist". He also studied Egyptian hieroglyphs
and Assyria
n Cuneiform inscriptions
, contributing several articles to Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Alterthumskunde.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
scholar of Anglo-Saxon history and literature, as well as a runologist
Runology
Runology is the study of the Runic alphabets, Runic inscriptions and their history. Runology forms a specialized branch of Germanic linguistics.-History:...
and numismatist
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
.
Biography
Haigh was born 7 August 1819 at Brinscall Hall in the village of BrinscallBrinscall
Brinscall is a village in the borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. Located approximately five miles north-east of Chorley, Brinscall borders the similar-sized villages of Withnell and Abbey Village. Brinscall is part of the civil parish of Withnell but does not have its own boundaries...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, but his family came from Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
and he grew up in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, so he considered himself a Yorkshireman. His father died when he was still a child, and his mother when he was sixteen, leaving him the eldest of three orphan brothers, who shared a large inheritance. Haigh initially went into business in Leeds, but soon turned to the church, and trained to become an Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest at St Saviour's church in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. However, he lost faith in the Church of England, and on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1847 he joined the Roman Catholic church. On 8 April 1848 he was ordained as a priest at the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of St Mary's College, Oscott. He used his personal fortune to build a church at Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, near Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The church
Erdington Abbey
Erdington Abbey Church on Sutton Road, Erdington, Birmingham, England, is the more usual name of the grade II listed church of Saints Thomas and Edmund of Canterbury. It is the church of a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Birmingham served by the Redemptorists...
was designed by Augustus Pugin, and cost him £15,000. The foundation stone was laid on the feast of St Augustine
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
(26 May 1848), and was consecrated by Bishop Ullathorne
William Bernard Ullathorne
William Bernard Ullathorne was an English Roman Catholic bishop and a missionary in Australia.-Early life:William Ullathorne was born in Pocklington, Yorkshire, the eldest of ten children of William Ullathorne, a prosperous grocer, draper and spirit merchant, and his wife Hannah, née Longstaff...
on 11 June 1850. He lived at Erdington, as a priest, where he shared his house with about a dozen orphans. He retired in 1876, suffering from poor health and bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, and went to live at St Mary's College, Oscott, where he died on 10 May 1879 after a short illness.
Academic writings
Although Haigh did not have any formal academic training, he dedicated himself to the study of Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
history and literature, and wrote two influential works on Anglo-Saxon history, The Anglo-Saxon Sagas and The Conquest of Britain by the Saxons, both published in 1861. He also wrote several monographs on Anglo-Saxon Numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
, and a number of studies of Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions
Runic inscriptions
A runic inscription is an inscription made in one of the various runic alphabets. The body of runic inscriptions falls into the three categories of Elder Futhark , Anglo-Frisian Futhorc and Younger Futhark .The total 350 known inscriptions in the Elder...
. However, his transcriptions and interpretations of runic monuments have been criticized by Raymond Page as "often erratic, showing an eagerness to find runes where none exist". He also studied Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
and Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n Cuneiform inscriptions
Cuneiform script
Cuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
, contributing several articles to Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Alterthumskunde.
Works
- 1845. An essay on the Numismatic history of the ancient kingdom of the East Angles. Leeds.
- 1857. "The Saxon Cross at Bewcastle"; in Archaeologia Aeliana New Series vol.I.
- 1858. Notes on the History of S. Begu & S. Hild; and on some relics of antiquity discovered in the sites of the religious establishments founded by them. Hartlepool.
- 1861. The Anglo-Saxon Sagas; an examination of their value as aids to history; a sequel to the "History of the Conquest of Britain by the Saxons" London: John Russel Smith. Reprint, Read Books, 2008. ISBN 9781409781318
- 1861. The Conquest of Britain by the Saxons : a harmony of the "Historia Britonum," the writings of Gildas, the "Brut", and the Saxon chronicle with reference to the events of the fifth and sixth centuries. Reprint, Kessinger Publishing, 2008. ISBN 9781436591126
- 1870. "Coins of Alfred the Great"; in Numismatic Chronicle vol.10 pp. 19–39.
- 1870. "The Runic Monuments of Northumbria"; in Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society vol.5 pp. 178–217.
- 1872. "Notes in Illustration of the Runic Monuments of Kent"; in Archæologia Cantiana vol.8 pp. 164–270.
- 1873. "Yorkshire Runic Monuments"; in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal vol.2 pp. 252–288.