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William Canton

Short Name: William Canton
Full Name: Canton, William, 1845-1926
Birth Year: 1845
Death Year: 1926

Canton, William, was b. Oct. 27, 1845, on the Isle of Chusan, China, and now (1906) resides in Highgate, London. He is the author of various volumes of poems, of a History of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1903, &c. Two of his poems are used as hymns in the English Hymnal, 1906, and others.
1. Hold Thou my hands! [Hold Thou me up.] First published in Good Words, May 1893, p. 333, and reprinted in his The Invisible Playmate, 1894, p. 21.
2. Through the night Thy angels kept. [Morning.] From his The Comrades, 1902, p. 233. [Rev. James Mearns. M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Wikipedia Biography

William Canton (27 October 1845 – 2 May 1926) was a British poet, journalist and writer, now best known for his contributions to children's literature. These include his series of three books, beginning with The Invisible Playmate, written for his daughter Winifred Vida (1891-1901). The book was read by the late nineteenth century English novelist George Gissing on New Year's Eve 1895. In his lifetime Canton was known for his use of recent archeological evidence of prehistory in his poetry.
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