Woodford was ed­u­cat­ed at Mer­chant Tay­lors School and at Pem­broke Coll­ege, Cam­bridge, of which he was a schol­ar (BA Sen­ior Op­ti­me, 2nd class in the Clas­sic­al Tr­ipos). He was or­dained in 1843, and be­came se­cond Mas­ter in Bi­shop’s Coll­ege, Bris­tol; and Cur­ate of St. John the Bap­tist, Broad Street, Bris­tol. He be­came In­cum­bent of St. Sav­iour’s, Coal­pit Heath, 1845; of St. Mark’s, East­on, Bris­tol, 1848; and Vi­car of Kemps­ford, Glou­ces­ter­shire, 1855. In 1868, the Crown pre­ferred him to the vi­car­age of Leeds up­on Dr. At­lay’s ap­point­ment as Bi­shop of Her­e­ford.

Wood­ford was sev­er­al times Se­lect Preach­er at Cam­bridge, and was al­so Hon. Chap­lain to the Queen (1867). In 1873, he was con­se­crat­ed in West­min­ster Ab­bey as Bi­shop of Ely. He al­so found­ed the Ely The­o­lo­gic­al Coll­ege. His works in­clude:

• Hymns Arranged for the Sun­days and Ho­ly Days of the Church of Eng­land, 1852, 1855
• Sermons, 1853
• Lectures for Ho­ly Week, 1853
• Lectures on the Creed, 1853
• Sermons, 1854
• Sermons, Charg­es etc. at lat­er dates
• The Par­ish Hymn Book, 1863 (co-ed­it­ed with Hyde Bea­don & Gre­ville Phill­i­more)

Sources

Hymns

1. Lamb of God, for Sin­ners Slain
2. Lord of the Hearts of Men
3. Not by Thy Mighty Hand
4. O Come, and with the Early Morn
5. Within the Fa­ther’s House

Translations

1. Christ, Above All Glo­ry Seat­ed
2. God from on High Hath Heard
3. Lord of the Hearts of Men
4. Thee We Adore, O Hid­den Sav­ior, Thee