John R. Clements was born in County Armagh, Ireland 28 November 1868 and was brought to the United States at the age of two years. He worked at the age of thirteen as a retail grocery clerk and had a successful wholesale grocery business. He began writing poetry when he was young.
Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916) Go to person page >
Display Title: Wash and Be CleanFirst Line: Down from yon cross flows a river of bloodTune Title: [Down from yon cross flows a river of blood]Author: John R. ClementsDate: 1905