Cecil frances humphreys alexander biography of martin tn

Cecil Frances Alexander (April – 12 October ) was an Anglo-Irish hymnwriter and poet.

Her subsequent religious work was strongly influenced by her contacts with the Oxford Movement , and in particular with John Keble , who edited Hymns for Little Children , one of her anthologies. By the s she was already known as a hymn writer and her compositions were soon included in Church of Ireland hymnbooks. She also contributed lyric poems, narrative poems, and translations of French poetry to Dublin University Magazine under various pseudonyms.

In , Alexander went to live at Milltown House in Strabane.

Alexander, Cecil Frances (–95), hymn-writer, known in her family as Fanny, was born in Eccles Street, Dublin, second daughter (and third among seven children) of John Humphreys .

By the close of the 19th century, Hymns for Little Children reached its 69th edition. Some of her hymns, such as " All Things Bright and Beautiful ", " There is a green hill far away " [ b ] and the Christmas carol " Once in Royal David's City ", are known by Christians the world over, as is her rendering of " Saint Patrick's Breastplate ". Her husband also wrote several books of poetry, of which the best known is St.

Augustine's Holiday and other Poems. She was six years older than the clergyman, causing great family concern. Alexander was involved in charitable work for much of her life. Money from her first publications had helped build the Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, which was founded in Strabane in The profits from Hymns for Little Children were also donated to the school.

She was involved with the Derry Home for Fallen Women , and worked to develop a district nurses service. She was an "indefatigable visitor to poor and sick". The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them high or lowly, And ordered their estate.