Henry was an English-born ecclesiastic who came to Sweden as part of the entourage of Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear (the future Adrian IV) on his legation to Scandinavia in 1153, and was made bishop of Uppsala. Around 1155 he accompanied King Eric IX of Sweden on the so-called First Swedish Crusade across the Gulf of Bothnia into southwestern Finland, the campaign that founded the Latin Church in Finland.
He remained in Finland after Eric's return to Sweden, establishing his cathedra at Nousiainen and travelling the southwestern Finnish lake country to baptize and to teach. According to the medieval Finnish hagiographic tradition, he was murdered on the frozen surface of Lake Köyliö by a peasant named Lalli, against whom he had imposed a penance for homicide; the date traditionally given is January 19 (the year given variously as 1156, 1158, or 1160).
His shrine at Nousiainen — and from 1300 at the new cathedral of Turku — became the spiritual centre of medieval Finland. Though his cult was never confirmed by formal Roman canonization, he has been venerated as the principal patron of Finland by both Catholics and Lutherans since the Middle Ages, and the elaborate bronze tomb-slab carved for him in Flanders around 1430 (the Henrikinarkku) remains the finest piece of medieval art in Finland.