Hugh Reginald Haweis was born on April 3, 1838, in Egham, Essex, England.

He was an English cleric and writer, the husband of author Mary Eliza Haweis (1848–1898), and the father of painter Stephen Haweis (1878-1969). In his childhood, he suffered from a hip disease that caused his dwarfish figure. He was educated privately in Sussex and at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1859). He showed great musical sensibility and aptitude for violin playing and was the solo violinist of the Cambridge Musical Society. He travelled to Italy and served under Garibaldi in 1860. On his return to England, he was ordained and held various curacies in London becoming incumbent of St. James's, Marylebone in 1866. His unconventional methods of conducting the service, combined with his dwarfish figure and lively manner, soon attracted crowded congregations. In 1885, he was a Lowell lecturer in Boston and represented the Anglican Church at the Chicago Parliament of Religions in 1893. He wrote books on violins and church bells and contributed an article to the 9th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica on “bell”. His best-known book was “Music and Morals” (1871). He was also an editor of Cassell's Magazine. He wrote the five-volume “Christ and Christianity” (1886–1887), as well as “Travel and Talk” (1896). His book “My Musical Life” (1884) offers a biographical tour through his career and his spiritual leanings in music.

In 1867, he married Mary Eliza Joy. He died on January 29, 1901, in Marylebone, London, England.