Charles Silvester Horne was a late 19th-century and early 20th-century Congregational minister, who additionally served as LiberalMP for Ipswich, and was a noted orator. He was also the father of the humorous broadcaster, Kenneth Horne.
Childhood
He was born in Cuckfield, Sussex, on 15 April 1865, the youngest child of Charles Horne, the minister of Cuckfield Congregational Church, and his wife, whose maiden name was Harriet Silvester Simpson. When he was six weeks old the family moved to Newport, Shropshire. Here Charles Horne gave up the ministry, becoming the editor of the local newspaper, the Newport Advertiser and became a partner of his wife's uncle, Charles Silvester in a printing and bookselling firm. Horne lived the rest of his childhood in the town, and was educated at Adams' Grammar School, where his headmaster was Tom Collins. His father's newspaper was a family business, and every member of the family helped with it at some point. The family at this time attended the Newport Congregational Chapel, which is described by Horne's biographer as "The most considerable Nonconformist place of worship in the town." It was through this church that Horne first began to preach, and his thoughts turned towards the Congregational ministry.
His fame as a preacher and author grew after he took over Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road in 1903, which he rebuilt as Whitefield's Central Mission. He wrote hymns which are still sung today. From 1910 until his death he had a national platform for his views as an MP.
Death
In 1914, while on holiday in Canada, returning from Niagara Falls, he was suddenly taken ill travelling on a steamer and died, aged forty-nine, before arriving at Toronto. His body was taken home and buried at Church Stretton, Shropshire, in the cemetery at Cunnery Road. Tributes poured in and his memorial service was attended by David Lloyd George. His wife and children were to outlive him by over half a century, his youngest daughter living until 1984. One of his grandchildren, Ronald Gordon, was Bishop of Portsmouth from 1975 to 1984.
Family
He married Katharine Cozens-Hardy, daughter of Herbert Cozens-Hardy with whom he had seven children:
In Church Stretton is the Silvester Horne Institute, a notable community building that serves as the town council's meeting place. During his life he also built the White House on the town's Sandford Avenue, as the family home, which later becoming a nursing home before being demolished in 2006.
