Henry Harper (bishop)
Henry John Chitty Harper (about 1804–1893) was an Anglican bishop in New Zealand during the late 19th century. He was born in Gosport, England, around 1804, the son of Tristram and Mary Harper, and baptised on January 9, 1804. He studied at The Queen’s College, Oxford, and was ordained in 1832. He served as Chaplain of Eton College until 1840, then as Vicar of St Mary’s, Stratfield Mortimer.
In 1856 he became Bishop of Christchurch and arrived in New Zealand with his family on December 23, 1856, in Lyttelton on the Egmont. At the General Synod in October 1868 he was elected Primate of New Zealand, and in July 1869, after George Selwyn resigned, he became the leading bishop of the church in New Zealand. He served as primate until September 1889 and resigned his see on March 31, 1890, due to ill health. He died on December 28, 1893, in Christchurch and was buried at Barbadoes Street Cemetery.
Harper married Emily Wooldridge on December 12, 1829, and they had 15 children. Among his children and in‑laws were Emily Weddell Harper, who married politician John Acland; two daughters who married Charles Blakiston and Charles George Tripp; and his son Leonard Harper, who became a member of Parliament. His descendants included notable figures such as Arthur Paul Harper, Eric Harper, Hugh Acland, and Jack Acland.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:01 (CET).