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Mrs. Hemans

1793 - 1835 Hymnal Number: 40 Author of "The Heart’s Inspiration" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Hemans, Felicia Dorothea, née Browne, was born in Liverpool, Sep. 25, 1793. In 1800, her father having suffered severe losses in business, removed with his family near to Abergele, N. Wales, where he died sometime after. In 1812 she was married to Captain Hemans, who, on retiring from the army sometime after, removed to Bronnylfa, near St. Asaph. Some years after he left his wife and children and proceeded to Italy, where he died. In 1828 Mrs. Hemans removed to Wavertree, near Liverpool, and in 1831 to Dublin, where she died May 16, 1835, and was buried in St. Ann's Church, Dawson Street, in that city. From 1808, when at 15 she published Poems, to 1834, when her Scenes & Hymns of Life appeared, she produced a great number of poems and other works, including: (1) The Domestic Affections and Other Poems, 1812; (2) The Sceptic, 1820; (3) Dartmoor, 1821; (4) Vespers of Palermo, 1823; (5) The Siege of Valenciav, 1823; (6) Voice of Spring, 1823; (7) Forest Sanctuary, 1825; (8) Hymns for Childhood, 1827 (English edition, 1834; first published in America); (9) Records of Woman and Miscellaneous Poems, 1828; (10) Songs of the Affections, 1830; (11) Scenes and Hymns of Life (dedicated to the poet Wordsworth), 1834. Then followed (12) The Works of Mrs. Hemans; with a Memoir of her Life by her Sister [Mrs. Hughes]. Edinburgh, W. Blackwood & Sons, 1839, in 3 volumes. Her Poems were collected and published by Blackwood in 1849, and again as one of the Chandos Classics, 1886. Three distinct ideas pervade Mrs. Hemans's poetry, the Fatherhood of God, Heaven as our Home, and mutual recognition when there. The work of the Atonement has a very subordinate place; and the Holy Spirit is scarcely recognized. The rhythm, even in her most popular pieces, is often disappointing, and a tone of sadness pervades most of her work. The gloom of disappointment and the traces of shadowed memories run like black threads through the web and woof of her productions. As a writer of hymns she holds a subordinate place. The best are "Answer me, burning stars of light," "Calm on the bosom of thy God," “Come to the land of peace," and "Fear was within the tossing bark." [Rev. James Davidson, B.A.] Mrs. Hemans's hymns which have come into common use include;— 1. Answer me, burning stars of light. Trust in God. Written after the death of a sister-in-law, and published in her Records of Woman, &c, 1828, p. 242, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. (P. Works, N.Y., 1828, vol. ii. pp. 144, 268). 2. Calm on the bosom of thy God. Death and Burial. This hymn appears in the closing scene of her dramatic poem, The Siege of Valencia, 1823, p. 235, in 2 stanzas of 4 lines. (Works, vol. iii. p. 379). It is supposed to be sung over the bier of Ximena, daughter of Gonzalez, the Governor of Valencia, during the final struggle of the siege. Mrs. Hemans subsequently added a third stanza ("Lone are the paths, and sad the bowers"); and in this form it is published separately as "A Dirge" in her Works, vol. iv. p. 330. It is one of the best known of her hymns. 3. Child, amidst the flowers at play. Hour of Prayer. This is given in her P. Works, 1828, vol. ii. p. 85, amongst the "Miscellaneous Pieces," in 3 stanzas of 8 lines, as a hymn for The Hour of Prayer. Dr. Martineau in his Hymns, &c, 1873, dates it 1825. 4. Come to me, dreams [thoughts] of heaven. Aspiration. Appeared in her National Lyrics, 1834, p. 251, and again in her Works, 1839, vol. vii. p. 88. 5. Come to the land of peace. The Angel's Greeting. Published in her Works, 1839, vol. vi. p. 186. 6. Earth! guard what here we lay in holy trust. Burial. Given in her Works, 1839, vol. iv. p. 327. This is a poem, and not a hymn. 7. Father! that in the olive shade. Gethsemane. Written at the death-bed of her mother, Jan., 1827, and published in her Hymns for Childhood, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, as a Hymn by the sick-bed of a Mother. (Works, 1839, vol. vi. p. 147.) Sometimes as "O Thou, Who in the olive shade." 8. Father, Who art on high. Prayer. This is part of her "Cathedral Hymn," published in her Scenes and Hymns of Life, 1834. (Works, 1839, vi. p. 142.) 9. Fear was within the tossing bark. Stilling the Tempest. This hymn appeared in her Hymns for Childhood, 1827; her Poetical Works, N. Y., 1828, ii. p. 124; and her Works, 1839, vol. iv. p. 325. 10. He knelt, the Saviour knelt and prayed. Gethsemane. This hymn appeared in The Almut (an annual) 1n 1825, and her Poetical Works, N.Y., 1828, ii. p. 125. It is also introduced in her dramatic poem, The English Martyrs: a Scene of the days of Queen Mary, published in her Scenes and Hys. of Life, 1834, p. 16. A betrothed couple are condemned to death: but are allowed a short intercourse before execution. This they employ in prayer and the singing of this hymn, which is based upon the sacred scene in Gethsemane. "The English Martyrs" is the opening piece of the Scenes and Hymns of Life, 1834. (Works, vii. p. 130.) 11. I hear thee speak of the better land. Heaven. Published in her Poetical Works, N. York, 1828, ii. p. 193, and her Songs of the Affections, 1830, p. 225, in 4 stanzas of 7 lines, and headed “The Better Land." (Works, 1839, vi. p. 123.) Popular as a sacred song, but not much used as a hymn. 12. Leaves have their time to fall. The Hour of Death Published in her Poet. Works, N. Y., 1828, ii. p. 114, and in her Forest Sanctuary , 2nd edition, 1829, p. 276, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines. (Works, 1839, iv. p. 177.) It is usually given in an abbreviated form. 13. Lowly and solemn be Thy children's cry to Thee. Burial. This hymn, in 9 stanzas of 6 lines, forms the closing portion of her poem on The Funeral Day of Sir Walter Scott. [He d. Sept. 21, 1832.] The poem was given in her Scenes and Hymns of Life, 1834, p. 99. (Works, vii. p. 178.) In an abbreviated form this Burial hymn is in extensive use in Great Britain and America, and is found in more hymn-books than all the rest of Mrs. Hemans's hymns put together. 14. No cloud obscures the summer's sky. Ps. xix. Appeared in her Hymns for Childhood, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled “The Stars." (Works, 1839, iv. p. 253.) It is usually given in an abbreviated form, beginning with stanza ii., "Child of the earth, Oh lift thy glance." 15. Now autumn strews on every plain. Harvest. One of her juvenile pieces, published in her Poems, Liverpool, 1808, p. 94, as a "Harvest Hymn." 16. O lovely voices of the sky. Christmas Carol. Appeared in her Hymns for Childhood, 1827, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines, and her Poet. Works, N. Y., 1828, ii. p. 123. (Works, v. p. 307. 17. Praise ye the Lord on every height. Ps. cxlviii. Published in her Hymns for Childhood, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. (Works, 1839, iv. p. 264.) 18. Saviour, now receive him. Burial. Scenes and Hys. of Life, 1834, p. 70, is a hymn entitled, "The Funeral Hymn" in the Burial of an Emigrant's Child in the Forest. It begins "Where the long reeds quiver." This extract opens with stanza ii. altered. 19. The breaking waves dashed high. Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. Published in her Records of Woman, &c, 1828, p. 261, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines, and in her Works, 1828, p, 261, "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in New England." (Works, 1839, v. p. 280.) Popular as a sacred song, but not much used as a hymn. 20. The Church of our fathers so dear to our souls. The Holy Church. This hymn has not been traced to date. Snepp, in Songs of Grace & Glory, says 1834. 21. The kings of old have shrine and tomb. The Graves of Martyrs. In The Forest Sanctuary, 2nd edition, 1829, p. 284, "The Graves of Martyrs" in 7 stanzas. Also Poet. Works, N. Y., 1828, ii. p. 150. 22. Where is the tree the prophet threw? Faith. Appeared in her Poet. Works, N. Y., 1828, ii. p. 170, and headed "The Fountain of Marah." Also in her Works, 1839, vi. p. 176. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology ================ Hemans, Felicia D., p. 509, i. No. 11, "I hear thee speak of the better land," and No. 12, "Leaves have their time to fall," appeared in J. Curtis's Union Collection, 1827, p. 274, i., and then in her Poetical Works, 1828. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

John Reynell Wreford

1800 - 1891 Person Name: Wreford Hymnal Number: 87 Author of "God in His Works and Word" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Wreford, John Reynell, an English Unitarian minister, was born December 12, 1800, at Barnstaple; educated at Manchester College, and in 1826 became pastor of a Church in Birmingham. In 1831, on account of the failure of his voice, he withdrew from the active work of the ministry and, in conjunction with Rev. Hugh Hutton, established a school at Edgbaston. He wrote a History of Presbyterian Nonconformity in Birmingham, 1832, and Lays of Loyalty, 1837. He contributed fifty-five hymns to Rev. J. R. Beard's Collection, 1837. His most popular and valuable hymn is the one given in this book. The last years of his life were spent in retirement at Bristol, where he died in 1891. —Hymn Writers of the Church by Charles Nutter ================= Wreford, John Keynell, D.D., born Dec. 12, 1800, educated at Manchester College, York, and in 1826 succeeded the Rev. James Yates as co-pastor to the Rev. John Kentish at the New Meeting, Birmingham. In 1830 he published a translation of Cellerier's Discourse on the Authenticity and Divine Origin of the Old Testament. In the following year, in consequence of failure of voice, he withdrew from the Ministry, and in conjunction with the Rev. Hugh Hutton, Minister of the Old Meeting, opened a school at Edgbaston. In 1832 he published a Sketch of the History of Presbyterian Nonconformity in Birmingham; and in 1837, Lays of Loyalty, in celebration of the Queen's accession. He also contributed, in 1837, to the Rev. J. R. Beard's Collection of Hymns for Public and Private Worship 55 hymns, of which the following are still in common use:— 1. God of the ocean, earth, and sky. God seen in His Works. In various collections, including those by Page Hopps, G. Dawson, and others. 2. Lord, I believe; Thy power I own. For increase of Faith. In Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1840. 3. Lord, while for all mankind we pray. National Hymn. This is in a large number of collections of various denominations, and is by far the most popular of his hymns. Sometimes it begins with stanza iii., "O! guard our shores from every foe." 4. When my love to Christ[God]grows weak. Passiontide. In Longfellow and Johnson's Unitarian Hymns of the Spirit, Boston, U. S. A., 1864, "When my love to God grows weak." This is repeated in Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1873. Dr. Wreford was also the author of several volumes of verse, chiefly devotional. The latter years of his life he spent in retirement at Bristol, and died there in 1881. [Rev. Valentine D. Davis, B.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Richard Chenevix Trench

1807 - 1886 Person Name: R. C. Trench Hymnal Number: 294 Author of "The Law of Love" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Trench, Richard Chenevix, D.D. was born in North Frederick Street, Dublin, on Sept. 9th, 1807, during a visit of his parents of some mouths to Ireland. His father was Richard Trench, 6th son of Frederick Trench, of Woodlands, Co. Galway; his mother Melesina, only grandchild and heiress of Richard Chenevix, Bishop of Waterford, and widow of Colonel St. George. On his mother's side he was almost purely French, the grandfather of Bishop Chenevix of Waterford, Philip Chenevix of d'Eply of Loraine having only taken refuge in England on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Huguenot refugee families married for a long time within themselves, and in Mrs. Richard Trench, four distinct foreign strains were blended. Her sons (the Archbishop and his brothers, besides his two sisters) were the only descendants of the Refugee Philip, either in the male or female line, all the other branches having come to an end. Trench's home in childhood was Elm Lodge, close to the village of Bursledon, not far from Southampton. In February, 1816 he proceeded to Twyford School, and in 1819 to Harrow, where he won great distinction. In October 1825 he was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge. His mother's correspondence is full of references to a little periodical called The Translator, begun in 1825, or immediately on his becoming an undergraduate. She was his ardent co-worker both as contributor and critic. In 1826 he had acquired Spanish, and in that year applied himself to preparing and publishing a volume of Miscellanies, of which the "profits were to be sent to the committee formed for the relief of the exiled Spaniards." On May 27th, 1827, his mother died at Malvern. The Letters and Memorials (1888) give vivid and exciting details of his continuous interest and daring personal service and sacrifices on behalf of Spain. It was during the winter days of 1829-30 that the consultations and schemes respecting Spain were discussed in John Sterling's apartment. Robert Boyd, Trench's cousin, threw himself and his entire fortune into the plot by purchasing a small ship in the Thames and storing it with arms, in which General Torrijos and fifty picked Spaniards were to sail for the new adventure of the Golden Fleece. The enterprise ended tragically. Boyd and others perished by the inevitable vengeance of the Spanish sovereign when captured. By the hand of God, Trench was safe in Gibraltar. Till far up in young manhood he was undecided as to his calling, Law rather than Divinity colouring his thoughts and plans. He left Cambridge on February 1st, 1829, and rejoined his widowed father at Elm Lodge, near Southampton. He married, at the Abbey Church, Bath, on May 31st, 1832, his own cousin, Frances Mary Trench, daughter of his uncle, Francis Trench (2nd son of Frederick Trench, of Woodlawn, co. Galway, Ireland, and next brother to the 1st Lord Ashtown). On October 7th, 1832, he received Deacon's Orders in Norwich Cathedral at the hands of the aged Bishop Bathurst of Norwich. His first curacy was at Hadleigh, Norfolk, with H. J. Rose. He was ordained priest early in July, 1835, by Bishop Sumner, of Winchester. He published in 1835 The Story of Justin Martyr, and other Poems (Moxon). This was (practically) his first book. In 1838 followed Sabbation, Honor Neale, and other Poems, with Notes. In 1840 appeared his first prose work, Notes on the Parables of our Lord, subsequently companioned with Notes on the Miracles of our Lord (1846). In 1841 "the loving discipline of pain" visited his heart and hearth by the death of his eldest born, a deep sorrow which gave its subtlest and finest inspiration to his Elegiac Poems. A third volume of poetry, Poems from Eastern Sources, the Steadfast Prince, and other Poems, was published early in 1842; and a fourth, Genoveva, later in the same year. Early in 1843 he delivered his Five Sermons before the University of Cambridge, published in 1844. In 1844 also was published Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, drawn from the Writings of St. Augustine, with Observations. In this same year he became Vicar of Itchen Stoke. In 1845 he delivered a lecture "On Language as an instrument of Knowledge," which expanded into his famous and suggestive Study of Words. In 1846 he was appointed Professor of Divinity at King's College, London, later changed into "Professor of the Exegesis of the New Testament,” which he held until 1858. The friendship between Trench and Maurice here was very beautiful. In 1846 also came the Hulsean Lectures, their subject being Christ "the Desire of all Nations." In 1849 appeared his Sacred Latin Poetry. This is an inestimable book. In 1852, Lessons on Proverbs and Study of Words, and in 1855 English Past and Present appeared. His Synonyms of the New Testament (1854) was a permanent contribution and inspiration to Philology and Theology. Life's Dream: the Great Theatre of the World, from the Spanish of Calderon, with an Essay on his Life and Genius, was published in 1856; 2nd ed. in 1880. The Crimean war drew from him his finest verse, Poems written during the Russian War (1854-55). In 1856 he was appointed Dean of Westminster. In 1861 was published his Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Asia. On New Year's Day, 1864, he was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin in Christ Church Cathedral. He instantly took a foremost place in the regard of the entire community. His published Sermons, including his Studies on the Gospels (1867), are amongst the most thoughtful and quietly eloquent in our language; as are his Lectures on Plutarch (1873), and others. Timolem (1881) was his last poem. His final confirmation was in St. Bartholomew's Church on May 16th, 1884. On November 28th, 1884, he resigned his Archbishopric. He died in London, March 28, 1886. Few have left behind them a more stainless, a more loveable, a more enviable memory. He was sweetness and light embodied. [Rev. A. B. Grosart, D.D., LL.D] In the strict sense of the word Archbishop Trench, although a poet, was not a hymn-writer. Some of his poetical pieces are used as hymns, but their use is limited. These include:— 1. High thoughts at first, and visions high. Ordination. Appeared in his Story of Justin Martyr, &c, 1835, p. 53, in 1 stanza of 8 lines, and entitled "To a Friend entering the Ministry." Its use as a hymn is in an abbreviated form. 2. I say to thee, do thou repeat. Safety in Divine Guidance. Published in his Story of Justin Martyr, &c, 1835, in 10 stanzas of 3 lines, again in his Poems, 1865, p. 98, and ed. 1885, i. p. 140. It is headed, "The Kingdom of God." 3. Let all men know that all men move. Love of God. Published in his Story of Justin Martyr, &c, 1835, p. 111. 4. Lord, weary of a painful way. Evening. Appeared in his Sabbation, Honor Neale, &c, 1838, p. 117; and Poems, 1885, i. p. 207. 5. Not Thou from us, 0 Lord, hut we. Divine Love. Published in his Story of Justin Martyr, &c, 1835, p. 52, in 14 1., and in his Poems, 1885, i. p. 109. 6. Pour forth the oil, pour boldly forth. The Law of Love. Appeared in his Sabbation, Honor Neale, and Other Poems, 1838, p. 132, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "The Law of Love," also in his Poems, 1865, p. 150, and ed. 1885, i. p. 215. From this is taken the hymn, Make channels for the stream of love." 7. Some murmur when their sky is clear. Contentment. Published in the Sabbation, Honor Neale, and Other Poems, 1838, p. 116, in 2 st. of 8 1., in his Poems, 1865, p. 113, and ed. 1885, i. p. 142. 8. Thou inevitable day. Death. From his Sabbation, Honor Neale, &c, 1838, p. 99, in 14 stanzas of 3 lines, and headed, "The Day of Death." Also in Poems, 1885, i. p. 213. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Thomas Sternhold

1449 - 1549 Person Name: Sternhold Hymnal Number: 472 Author of "“He Bowed the Heavens and Came Down.”" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Thomas Sternhold was Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI. With Hopkins, he produced the first English version of the Psalms before alluded to. He completed fifty-one; Hopkins and others composed the remainder. He died in 1549. Thirty-seven of his psalms were edited and published after his death, by his friend Hopkins. The work is entitled "All such Psalms of David as Thomas Sternhold, late Groome of the King's Majestye's Robes, did in his Lyfetime drawe into Englyshe Metre." Of the version annexed to the Prayer Book, Montgomery says: "The merit of faithful adherence to the original has been claimed for this version, and need not to be denied, but it is the resemblance which the dead bear to the living." Wood, in his "Athenae Oxonlenses" (1691, vol. I, p. 62), has the following account of the origin of Sternhold's psalms: "Being a most zealous reformer, and a very strict liver, he became so scandalized at the amorous and obscene songs used in the Court, that he, forsooth, turned into English metre fifty-one of David's psalms, and caused musical notes to be set to them, thinking thereby that the courtiers would sing them instead of their sonnets; but they did not, some few excepted. However, the poetry and music being admirable, and the best that was made and composed in these times, they were thought fit to be sung in all parochial churches." Of Sternhold and Hopkins, old Fuller says: "They were men whose piety was better than their poetry, and they had drunk more of Jordan than of Helicon." Sternhold and Hopkins may be taken as the representatives of the strong tendency to versify Scripture that came with the Reformation into England--a work men eagerly entered on without the talent requisite for its successful accomplishment. The tendency went so far, that even the "Acts of the Apostles" was put into rhyme, and set to music by Dr. Christopher Tye. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872.

James Flint

1779 - 1855 Person Name: Flint Hymnal Number: 433 Author of "Remembrance of Our Fathers" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Flint, James, D.D., born at Reading, Mass., 1779, and graduated at Harvard, 1802. In 1806 he became pastor of a Unitarian Church at East Bridgewater, Mass., from which he passed to East Church, Salem, 1821. Died in 1855. In 1820 he contributed one hymn to Sewell’s New York Collection, and in 1843 he also published A Collection of Hymns, to which he contributed from 10 to 12 originals. His best known hymns are:— 1. Here to the High and Holy One. This hymn, "On leaving an Ancient Church," appeared in the Cambridge Selection of 1828. 2. In pleasant lands have fallen the lines. Remembrance of our Fathers. Written for the bicentenary of Quincy, Mass., May 25, 1840, and published in his Collection, 1843. 3. Happy the unrepining poor. Appeared in Sewell's New York Collection, 1820. Dr. Flint's hymns are unknown to the English Collections. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Eliza Lee Cabot Follen

1787 - 1860 Person Name: Mrs. Follen Hymnal Number: 212 Author of "Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Follen, Eliza Lee, née Cabot, a well-known Unitarian writer, daughter of Samuel Cabot, born at Boston, August 15, 1787, and married, in 1828, to Professor Charles Follen, who perished on board the "Lexington," which was burnt on Long Island Sound, Jan. 13,1840. Mrs. Follen died at Brookline, Mass., 1860. She was a voluminous writer. Her Poems were first published at Boston (Crosby & Co.), 1839, and whilst she was in England she issued another volume for children's use, entitled The Lark and the Linnet, in 1854. Both volumes also contain some translations from the German, and versions of a few Psalms. Her best known hymns are:— 1. How sweet to be allowed to pray. Resignation. Appeared in the Christian Disciple, Sept., 1818, and in her Poems, 1839, p. 116, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "Thy will be done." 2. How sweet upon this sacred day. Sunday. In her Poems, 1839, pp. 113-114, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled “ Sabbath Day.” It previously appeared in Sabbath Recreations, 1829. 3. Lord, deliver, Thou canst save. Prayer for the Slave. Found in Songs of the Free, 1836; but is not given in her Poems, 1839. In Adams and Chapin's Hymns for Christian Devotion, Boston, U.S., 1846, it is No. 802, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. In common with No. 2 it has found acceptance out¬side Unitarian Collections. 4. God, Thou art good, each perfumed flower. This is the original of J. H. Gurney's hymn," Yes, God is good," &c. (q.v.) There is some obscurity about the text. It is found in her Hymns for Children, Boston, 1825, beginning, "God is good," each perfumed flower," and this obvious misprint (which destroys the metre) was usually copied in later books. It is also given with the same first line as an original piece, never before published, and signed "E. L. C." (initials of Mrs. Follen's maiden name), in Emily Taylor's Sabbath Recreations, Wellington, Salop, 1826, p. 203. This suggests that it was printed in the American book after the US. was posted to England. Mrs. Follen may have written at first “Yes, God is good," but this cannot now be determined. It begins, “God, Thou art good," &c, in her Poems, 1839, p. 119, and in her verses, The Lark and the Linnet, &c, 1854, and in each case is in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, with the title, "God is Good." 5. Will God, Who made the earth and sea. A Child's Prayer. Given in her Poems, 1839, p. 164, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. In Dr. Allon's Children's Worship, 1878, No. 212, it is abbreviated to 4 stanzas (i.-iv.), and attributed to H. Bateman in error. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

John Taylor

1750 - 1826 Person Name: J. Taylor Hymnal Number: 9 Author of "Seeking God’s Presence" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Taylor, John, born July 30, 1750, was the son of Richard Taylor, of Norwich, and grandson of Dr. John Taylor (1694-1761, the eminent Hebrew scholar, who was for many years minister of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich, and afterwards Divinity tutor at the Warrington Academy. Dr. Taylor published A Collection of Tunes in Various Airs, one of the first collections of its kind, and his grandson was one of the most musical of Unitarian hymn-writers). Young Taylor, after serving his apprenticeship in his native place, was for two years in a banking house in London, at which time he was an occasional poetical contributor to the Morning Chronicle. In 1773 he returned to Norwich, where he spent the rest of his life, first as a manufacturer, and afterwards as a wool and yarn factor. For nearly fifty years he was a deacon at the Octagon Chapel. At the time of the French Revolution he joined in the support of The Cabinet, a periodical brought out by the Liberals of Norwich, in conjunction with Dr. Enfield, William Taylor, Miss Alderson (Mrs. Opie), and others, and, as a "poet of the olden time," he contributed five poems thereto. These, and other political songs and poems relating to family events, &c, together with 50 hymns, were collected in Hymns and Miscellaneous Poems, Reprinted for Private Distribution, 1863, with a Memoir taken from the Monthly Repository of Sept. 1826, by his son, Edward Taylor, then Gresham Professor of Music. An earlier and less complete edition, containing 43 hymns, he had himself caused to be printed by his sons, Richard and Arthur Taylor, London, 1818. He died June 23, 1826. Of his hymns the following 9 were contributed to Dr. Enfield's Selection of Hymns for Social Worship, Norwich, 1795:— 1. Far from mortal cares retreating. Divine Worship. 2. Father divine, before Thy view. Divine Providence. 3. Father of our feeble race. Christian Love. This begins in Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884, and others, with st. ii., "Lord, what offering shall we bring?" 4. Glory be to God on high. Divine glories celebrated. The first stanza is by C. Wesley, and the rest are by Taylor. 5. God of mercy, God of love [grace], Hear our sad repentant song. Penitence. 6. 0 sing to the Lord a new song. Praise to the Supreme Ruler and Judge. 7. Praise to God, the great Creator. Praise to the Father. The hymn "Saints with pious zeal attending" in Hatfield's Church Hymns, &c.,N.Y., 1872, begins with line 4 of stanza i. of this hymn. 8. Raise your voice and joyful sing. Praise. 9. Rejoice, the Lord is King. Providence acknowledged in the Seasons. The first stanza and 11. 5 and 6 of all are by C. Wesley, and the rest are by Taylor. J. Taylor edited Hymns intended to be used at the Commencement of Social Worship, London, 1802. To that collection he contributed 10 hymns, including:— 10. At the portals of Thy house. Divine Worship. In a few American collections a cento from this hymn is given as, "Lord, before thy presence come." 11. Blessed Sabbath of our [the] Lord. Sunday. 12. 0 how delightful is the road. Divine Worship. 13. Supreme o'er all Jehovah reigns.. Divine Worship. All the foregoing, except No. 8, were re-published in the Norwich Collectionof 1814. That edition contained 33 of Taylor's hymns. To the 2nd ed., 1826, he added 9 more. To R. Aspland's Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Unitarian Worship, Hackney, 1810, he contributed 26 hymns, old and new, including :— 14. Like shadows gliding o'er the plain. Time and Eternity. 15. The Mighty God who rolls [rules] the spheres. God the Preserver of Man. These 15 are the best known of Taylor's hymns, and are largely found in Unitarian collections. See especially Dr. Martineau's Hymns, &c, of 1840, and of 1873. [Rev. Valentine D. Davis, B.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

William Bourn Oliver Peabody

1799 - 1847 Person Name: Peabody Hymnal Number: 293 Author of "Who Is My Neighbor?" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Peabody, William Bourne Oliver, D.D., twin brother of Oliver William Bourne, was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, July 9, 1799, and educated in his native town and at Harvard College. Leaving Harvard in 1817, he taught for a year at an academy in Exeter, and then proceeded to study theology at the Cambridge Divinity School. He began to preach in 1819, and became the Pastor of the Unitarian Congregation at Springfield, Massachusetts, in October, 1820. This charge he held to his death on May 28, 1847. His Memoir (written by his brother) was published with the 2nd ed. of his Sermons, 1849; and his Literary Remains followed in 1850. "He was a man of rare accomplishments, and consummate virtue," whose loveliness of character impressed many outside his own sect. In 1823 he published a Poetical Catechism for the Young to which were appended some original hymns. He also edited The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship, Springfield, 1835. A few of his hymns also appeared in that collection. His hymns in common use are:— 1. Behold the western evening light. Death of the Righteous, or Autumn Evening. Published in his Catechism, 1823, in 6 st. of 4 1., and again in his Springfield Collection, 1835, No. 484. It is in common use in its original form; also as altered in the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853; and again as altered by George Rawson in the Baptist Psalsm & Hymns, 1858, where it reads "How softly on the western hills." 2. God of the earth's extended plains. Hymn of Nature. This is in Griswold's Poets and Poetry of America, in 6 st. of 8 1. This is thought by some to be the production of his brother Oliver; but Putnam assigns it to William. It is given abbrevi¬ated in a few collections. The hymn "God of the rolling orbs above," in the Boston Unitarian Hymns [and Tune"] Book, 1868, and others, begins with st. v. 3. 0 when the hours of life are past. The Hereafter. This hymn, in 6 st. of 4 1., was given in his Catechism, 1823, as the Answer to "Question xiv. What do you learn of the Future State of Happiness." It is in use in its original form, and also altered as "When all the hours of life are past." 4. The moon is up: how calm and slow. Evening. A poem rather than a hymn, in 6 st. of 4 1., appended to his Catechism, 1823. 5. When brighter suns and milder skies. Spring. Appended to his Catechism, 1823, in 6 st. of 4 1. The full texts of all these hymns are in Putnam's Singers and Songs of the Liberal Faith, Boston, U. S. A., 1875. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

John Johns

1801 - 1847 Person Name: Johns Hymnal Number: 166 Author of "The Preachers of the Word" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Johns, John, born at Plymouth, March 17, 1801, the son of an artist. Educated at the grammar school and by the Rev. I. Worsley, Unitarian minister at Plymouth, and afterwards spent two years at Edinburgh. In 1820 became minister of the old Presbyterian chapel at Crediton, where he remained till his removal to Liverpool in 1836, as Minister to the Poor. He was a man of fine poetic temperament and retiring disposition, but his work among the people called out his great practical and organising ability. He died a sacrifice to the fever which raged in the district where he laboured, June 23, 1847. Besides his reports to the Liverpool Domestic Mission Society, and frequent contributions to the Monthly Repository, Christian Reformer, and Christian Teacher, he published three volumes of poetry, Dews of Castalie; a collection of Poems, 1828; The Valley of the Nymphs, 1829; and Georgics of Life, 1846. There are 35 of his hymns in Dr. Beard's Collection, 1837, and several of them are in other Unitarian books. The best known of his hymns are:— 1. Come, Kingdom of our God. Prayer for the Kingdom of God. 2. Farewell, our blighted treasure. Death of a Child. 3. Great God, avert from us the thought. Heaven. 4. Hush the loud cannon's roar. Common Brother' hood and Peace Universal. 5. O know ye not that ye. Purity. This is altered from “What, know ye not that ye?" 6. Thanks to God for these who came. Preachers of the Word. Altered from "Welcome, welcome these who came." 7. Thou must be born again. Necessity of the New Birth. These hymns were contributed to Beard's Collection, 1837, and passed thence into other collections. (Rev. Valentine D. Davis, B.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Luella J. B. Case

1807 - 1857 Person Name: Mrs. Case Hymnal Number: 298 Author of "Love On!" in A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) Case, Luella Juliette (Bartlett). (Kingston, New Hampshire, December 30, 1807--October 10, 1857). Married Eliphalet Case in 1828. Her hymn beginning "Lord, on thy Zion's wall" is included in the Universalist Church Harmonies: New and Old, 1895. --Henry Wilder Foote, DNAH Archives