R. D. Hampden

Rennes Dickson Hampden (March 29, 1793 - April 23, 1868) was an English Anglican clergyman. His liberal tendencies led to a conflict with the traditionalist clergy as a whole and supporters of tractorism in the years when he taught at Oxford (1829-1846), which coincided with a period of rapid social change and increased political tension. His support for the campaign to admit non-Anglicans to Oxford and Cambridge universities was unpopular at the time (1834) and led to serious protests when he was appointed professor of theology Regius two years later. His election as bishop of Hereford was an occasion for religious controversy in the Victorian era, because it raised questions about the royal prerogative in appointing bishops and the role of prime minister. He ran the diocese with tolerance and mercy, without being involved in further disputes for nearly twenty years.