The Times/1911/News/Appointment of Dean of Norwich

CANON BEECHING APPOINTED.

The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rev. Henry Charles Beeching, D.Litt., Canon of Westminster to be Dean of Norwich in succession to the Very Rev. H. Russell Wakefield, D.D., Bishop-Designate of Birmingham.

Dr. Beeching, who has held since 1902 the canonry of Westminster then vacated through the promotion of Dr. Armitage Robinson to the Deanery, is 52 years of age. Besides attending closely to the affairs of the Abbey, he has been constantly occupied, during his period there, with theological and literary publications of various kinds. He has written a life of Atterbury, and has given courses in the Abbey on the Creed, the Atonement, and the Bible Doctrine of the Sacraments. Though he only now enters Convocation for the first time he has take a prominent part in the movement for the Revision of the Prayer Book, and has edited the best series of essays to be had on his side of the controversy.

Our readers will not have forgotten the series of letters which we printed in the early part of the year, and in which the Canon advocated a slight revision of the Authorized Version of the Bible, in the belief that this would yield a far more valuable result than the Revised Version, to the public reading of which he is opposed on literary grounds. Since 1900 he has been Chaplain and Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, and as an intimate friend of Canon Ainger he has frequently preached at Temple Church. Norwich may therefore count on a Dean who has some thoughtful teaching to bring its intelligent laymen, and much literary grace in expressing it. But also his work as Canon and treasurer of the Abbey has made him apt to be the constitutional head of a chapter and the careful guardian of a cathedral fabric.

The statues at Norwich place considerable power in the Dean's hands, and his decision on many matters is in daily requisition. Dr. Beeching may be trusted to give close attention to this side of his official work, but the growing industrial life of Norwich will also benefit by the constant presence in its midst of a man of wide reading who can discuss what he reads to the instruction of working men.