George Burgess

Burgess, George, D.D. Bishop Burgess was born at Providence, Rhode Island, Oct. 31, 1809, and graduated at Brown University, 1826, where he was for some time a tutor. After studying for two years in Germany, he took Holy Orders, and in 1834 became Rector of Christ Church, Hartford. In 1847 he was consecrated Bishop of Maine, and also entered upon the Rectory of Christ Church, Gardiner. He died in Haiti, April 3, 1866. His Life was published by bis brother in 18G9. His works include The Book of Psalms translated into English Verse, 1839; The American Metrical Psalter, N. Y., 1864; and Poems, Hartford, 1868. His Psalms and Hymns in use are;—-
1. Lord, in Thy Name we spread the sail, Sailor’s Hymn. This hymn is included in his Poems, 1868, p. 268, but is of unknown date and origin. The hymn, "While o'er the deep Thy servants sail," is an altered form of this hymn to be sung on behalf of sailors. It was apparently rewritten for the Connecticut Psalms and Hymns, 1845.
2. The harvest dawn is near. Ps. cxxvi. From his version of Ps. cxxvi., Book of Psalms, &c, 1839, beginning with st. v. Also his American Metrical Psalter, p. 250. It is widely used.
3. The floods, 0 Lord, lift up their voice. From Ps. xciii. in his Book of Psalms, 1839, stanza iii., found in his American Metrical Psalter, p. 179.
4. When forth from Egypt's trembling strand. Ps. cxiv. From his Book of Psalms, 1839, and Psalter, 1864. It has been included in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866.
Of these hymns Nos. 1 and 2 are found in almost every recent American collection but that of the Protestant Episcopal Church. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)