Introduction

Biography

Christian was the son of John Bate­man.

He stu­died in the Mo­ra­vi­an Church, and min­is­tered there for a time.

In 1843, he be­came min­is­ter of the Rich­mond Place Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church, Ed­in­burgh, Scot­land. After 1846, he served Con­gre­ga­tion­al pas­tor­ates in Hop­ton, York­shire, and Read­ing, Berk­shire.

He then took Ho­ly Or­ders and served as cur­ate of St. Luke’s in Jer­sey (1869–71); vi­car of All Saints, Childs­hill, Mid­dle­sex (1871–75); and cur­ate of St. John’s Peny­myndd, Ha­war­den (1877–84).

Works

His hymns ap­peared main­ly in The Sac­red Song Book (Ed­in­burgh: Gall & In­glis),. This hym­nal was sub­sequent­ly pub­lished as Sacr­ed Me­lo­dies for Child­ren, as 200 Sacred Me­lo­dies for Sun­day Schools and Families, and as The Child­ren’s Hym­nal and Chris­tian Year (Lon­don: John Hod­ges, 1872).