George Croly

[4] The editor of the Literary Gazette, William Jerdan, had previously attempted to procure a living for him, but this had proved unsuccessful, the reason (according to Croly's obituary in the Gentleman's Magazine) being a confusion between him and another clergyman, a former Roman Catholic, with a similar name.

[1][5] In 1835, however, through the influence of Lord Brougham, a distant relative of his wife[1] he was appointed rector of St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London, a position he held until his death.

[4] His son Frederick wrote:This parish being very small, and most of the parishioners non-resident, the new rector could still devote a large portion of his time to general literature.

A still greater advantage of his new position was, that it afforded an opportunity of exercising in a metropolitan church those remarkable powers as a preacher, which had been comparatively thrown away upon a rural congregation.

The church of St Stephen's, previously almost deserted, soon became filled, under the influence of this powerful attraction, with a large and attentive congregation, most of whom came from a considerable distance.

[4]In 1847 he was appointed afternoon preacher to the Foundling Hospital, but soon resigned after criticism from its governors,[6] who felt that his style was unsuitable for a congregation consisting mainly of children and servants.