James Lewis Milligan

Milligan, James Lewis. (Liverpool, England, February 1, 1876--May 1, 1961, Scarborough Township, York County, Ontario). Son of Anglican parents, his early and only formal education was obtained at Anglican schools. Going to work in the building trades at the age of twelve, he applied himself so assiduously to self-study he soon began contributing to London papers. In 1910 a collection of his verse was published by a London hour resulting in his receiving the Hemans Prize for Lyrical Poetry. The next year, with his family, he emigrated to Canada and became a pastor on the Methodist circuit in Hastings County, Ontario. He was, variously, an editor, editorial writer, publicity director, and author. Among his published works are The Beckoning Skyline (verse), 1920; Judas Iscariot (a play), 1930.

A more detailed account of his life can be found in Our Hymnody, p.483.
Sources: McMillan, Alexander. Hymns of the Church; correspondence.

--Robert G. McCutchan, DNAH Archives

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Milligan, James Lewis. (Liverpool, England, February 1, 1876--May 1, 1961, Toronto, Ont.). Methodist/United Church. After emigrating to Ontario in 1911, and spending two years at Actinolite as a Methodist lay-preacher, this active layman was never far from some form of journalism, having already written articles for London newspapers. He briefly edited the Peterborough Review (1913-1914) and the Stratford Beacon-Herald (1934-1937), besides writing editorials for the Toronto Globe and feature articles for the newspaper it later joined, The Mail and Empire. From 1926-1934 he handled public relations for Ontario's department of mines, as in 1922-1925 he had done for the three denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational) which were planning to amalgamate into The United Church of Canada, despite signs that not all their members welcomed such a step. His sole hymn, a paraphrase of Isaiah 40, expressed the stated goals of the new denomination well enough to figure in its Hymnary (1930).

--Hugh D. McKellar, DNAH Archives