Dean of Chester. Prominent biblical scholar and archaeologist. Dean of Chester, 1882. As Dean of Chester from 1867-1885, he oversaw the restoration of the Cathedral as well as the endowment of the Kings School for boys.

From Wikipedia

After receiving his early education at Giggleswick School, of which his father was head-master, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge. Graduating BA in 1837 and MA in 1840, he became private tutor at Cambridge to the marquess of Sligo and the marquess of Lorne. In 1845 Howson, having taken orders, accepted the post of senior classical master at the Liverpool College under his friend W. J. Conybeare, whom he succeeded as principal in 1849. This post he held until 1865, and it was largely due to his influence that a similar college for girls was established at Liverpool.

On 2 June 1865, Howson was appointed as Honorary Chaplain of the 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps.

In 1866 he left Liverpool for the vicarage of Wisbech, and in 1867 he was appointed dean of Chester Cathedral, where he gave himself vigorously to the work of restoring the crumbling fabric, collecting nearly £100,000 in five years for this purpose[3] His restoration created a great debate and led in part to formation of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

His sympathies were with the evangelical party, and he stoutly opposed the "Eastward position," but he was by no means narrow. He did much to reintroduce the ministry of women as deaconesses. The building of the King's School for boys, and the Queen's School for girls (both in Chester), was due in a great measure to the active interest which he took in educational matters. He died at Bournemouth on the December 15, 1885, and was buried in the cloister garth of Chester. He had married the daughter of John Cropper who survived him by only a few days.

Howson's chief literary production was The Life and Epistles of St Paul (1852) in which he collaborated with Conybeare. The book is still of interest, especially for its descriptive passages,which were mostly done by Howson; but later researches (such as those of Sir WM Ramsay) have made the geographical and historical sections obsolete, and the same may be said of the treatment of the Pauline theology.

Howson was an uncle of George Howson (1860–1919), reforming headmaster of Gresham's School.


From Venn’s

Adm. pens. (age 17) at TRINITY, Mar. 18, 1833. S. of the Rev. John, Second
Master of Giggleswick Grammar School [and –, dau. of John Saul, master at
Giggleswick]. B. May 5, 1816, at Giggleswick. School, Giggleswick (Mr Ingram).
Matric. Michs. 1833; Scholar, 1836; B.A. (Class. Trip., 1st Class) 1837;
Members' prize, 1837 and 1838; Norrisian prize, 1841; M.A. 1840; D.D. 1862.
Hulsean Lecturer, 1862; Lady Margaret's Preacher, 1864. Ord. deacon (Chester)
1845; priest, 1846. Private tutor to the Marquess of Sligo, and to the
Marquess of Lorne. Senior Classical Master, Liverpool Collegiate Institution,
1845; Principal there, 1849-65. V. of Wisbech, Cambs., 1866-7. Dean of
Chester, 1867-85. Restored the Cathedral, endowed the King's school, Chester,
and contributed largely to the building of the new museum. Charles Kingsley
was a Canon of Chester for three years during Howson's time, and the two were
on cordial terms, despite Howson's prejudice against Broad Churchmen; Kingsley
contributed his well-known Letter on Betting to a series of short
papers started by Howson, which was intended to repress the evils of the
race-week at Chester. Married (while at Liverpool) Mary, dau. of John Cropper,
of Dingle Bank. Author (with W. J. Conybeare), The Life and Epistles of St
Paul; hymns and sermons, etc. Died Dec. 15, 1885, at Bournemouth. Brother
of George (1844), Thomas (1836) and William (1837); father of Edmund W.
(1874). (Giggleswick Sch. Reg.; Boase, I. 1562; Crockford;
D.N.B.)