Person Results

S. J. Vail

1818 - 1883 Composer of "[Oh, the love of God is boundless]" in Choice Hymns of the Faith In his youth Silas Jones Vail learned the hatter's trade at Danbury, Ct. While still a young man, he went to New York and took employment in the fashionable hat store of William H. Beebe. Later he established himself in business as a hatter at 118 Fulton Street, where he was for many years successful. But the conditions of trade changed, and he could not change with them. After his failure in 1869 or 1870 he devoted his entire time and attention to music. He was the writer of much popular music for use in churches and Sunday schools. Pieces of music entitled "Scatter Seeds of Kindness," "Gates Ajar," "Close to Thee," "We Shall Sleep, but not Forever," and "Nothing but Leaves" were known to all church attendants twenty years ago. Fanny Crosby, the blind authoress, wrote expressly for him many of the verses he set to music. --Vail, Henry H. (Henry Hobart). Genealogy of some of the Vail family descended from Jeremiah Vail at Salem, Mass., 1639, p. 234.

S. V. R. Ford

1835 - 1910 Person Name: S. V. R. F. Author of "Jesus' Boundless Love" in Melodies for Little People Born: 1835, Greenville, New York. Died: June 5, 1910, New York City. Son of Cyrus Earle and Amanda Hedden Ford, Stephen wrote several battle hymns during the American civil war which were sung by Union soldiers. He was a partner in a shirt and collar making company, Ide & Ford, in Troy, New York (1865-72). In his later years, he was known as an author, editor, composer and critic. He was living in Schenectady, New York, in 1908. His works include: Sunday-School Teaching (Hitchcock & Walden, 1868) Melodies for Little People (New York: Hunt and Eaton, 1891) The King’s Birthday: A Carol Service for Christmas (New York: Hunt and Eaton, 1893) The Stone Rolled Away: An Easter Missionary Service (Curts & Jennings, 1897) Recitations, Song and Story for Sunday and Day Schools, Primary and Intermediate Departments (Eaton & Mains, 1900) The Junior League Songster Bible Wonders and Aids to Bible Study (New York: Bible Wonders Company) Methodist Year Book, 1902 (editor) --www.hymntime.com/tch/

Asa Hull

1828 - 1907 Composer of "[O the love of Christ is boundless]" in Gospel Praise Book. Asa Hull USA 1828-1907. Born in Keene, NY, he became a music publisher in New York City. He married Emma F Atherton, and they had a daughter, Harriett. He wrote many tunes and authored temperance rallying songs. He published 33 works, of which 21 were songbooks, between 1863-1895. He died in Philadelphia, PA. John Perry

William J. Kirkpatrick

1838 - 1921 Person Name: Wm. J. Kirkpatrick Composer of "[Sing, oh sing the love of Jesus]" in Songs of Praise and Salvation William J. Kirkpatrick (b. Duncannon, PA, 1838; d. Philadelphia, PA, 1921) received his musical training from his father and several other private teachers. A carpenter by trade, he engaged in the furniture business from 1862 to 1878. He left that profession to dedicate his life to music, serving as music director at Grace Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Kirkpatrick compiled some one hundred gospel song collections; his first, Devotional Melodies (1859), was published when he was only twenty-one years old. Many of these collections were first published by the John Hood Company and later by Kirkpatrick's own Praise Publishing Company, both in Philadelphia. Bert Polman