William Harris Munch (1784-1859)
Artist: George Frederick Clarke (1823-1906)
William Harris Murch was born on 17th May 1784. Giving his first sermon at the age of fourteen, he was clearly destined for the ministry, developing his preaching talents at Wymondley Academy before going to Frome Baptist Church as pastor. After a long service of 22 years at Frome, in 1827 he left to become Principal of Stepney College, the predecessor to Regent’s Park. While at Stepney, Murch oversaw a process of increased academic activity at the college, with language entry requirements made more demanding, various branches of the curriculum brought together, and the number of students present at any one time doubling from 14 in 1827 to 28 in 1848. Murch’s dedication to his various roles is made apparent by the great respect he garnered from those around him. Members of his Frome church opposed his move to Stepney, not wishing to lose someone who had served them so well; and. upon his departure from Stepney in 1844, his students contributed to buy him a decorative timepiece to mark the end of his tenure. This spirit was carried through into his wider roles as a Baptist leader, with Murch serving as Secretary of the Baptist Union between 1834 and 1846, and of the Baptist Board from 1837 to 1843. This leadership overlapped with his work in the anti-slavery movement. Murch attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840 and the following year acted as chief signatory to a letter on behalf of the Baptist Union to the US churches denouncing their continued toleration of slavery. In his later years, Murch took on a variety of projects, preaching around London, serving as pastor for a time at Rickmansworth, and helping to found Kensington Chapel in Bath. Murch died in Bath on 12th July 1859.