Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander
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Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander (Early April 1818 Dublin - 12 October 1895 Derry) was an Irish-born hymnwriter and poet who wrote in English.
She was born the daughter of Major John Humphreys and Elizabeth (nee Reed). She began writing verse in her childhood. Her religious work was strongly influenced by her contacts with the Oxford Movement and in particular with John Keble, who edited one of her anthologies. By the 1840s she was already known as a hymnwriter and her compositions were soon included in Church of Ireland hymnbooks.
Her Hymns for Little Children had reached its 69th edition before the close of the century. Some of her hymns, e.g. "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "There is a Green Hill Far Away" and "The Roseate Hues of Early Dawn", as well as the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's City", are known by many millions of Christians the world over.
In Strabane in October 1850 she married the Anglican clergyman William Alexander, afterwards Bishop of Derry and Archbishop of Armagh. Her husband also wrote several books of poetry, of which the most important is St. Augustine's Holiday and other Poems.
Cecil Alexander was also involved in charitable work, founding a school for the deaf in Derry with her sister.
References
- This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
- [The biography of Cecil Frances Alexander], PoemHunter.com
- [Cecil Frances Alexander], Ulster History Circle
External links
- [All Things Bright and Beautiful], Flash movie based on the famous hymn
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