Fanny Crosby
Frances Jane Crosby (1820-1915)
There are plenty of notable female hymn writers throughout the turn of the century. They have all blessed us with their musical talents, poetic filled lyrics, and their encouraging songs of worship. In the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, female composers started to illustrate their musical talents. There were quite a few of famous female hymn writers but this person I took interest in quickly. Now I want to play a game called “Guess Who’s this Hymn Writer”. In the nineteenth century, I became the best-known female composer earning the rightful title “the most creative hymnist of the gospel song period”. By the end of the nineteenth century, I became a household name and a noticeable figure on the music scene. When you think of my name is to think about the gospel songs and to remember me as the blind poet who wrote “Blessed Assurance”, “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior”, “To God Be the Glory” and countless other classics. Who am I?
Sixty miles north of New York City, the Croton River and its tributaries water the rugged hills of a narrow strip of land in eastern Putnam County, near the Connecticut border. Here Frances Jane Crosby, “America’s sweet singer in Israel”, was born 24 March 1820 in a small clapboard house built in 1758 and standing just back from Froggintown Road (Blumhofer, p.1). The only child of John and Mercy Crosby, Fanny Crosby was born into a humble home crowded with extended family. They boasted few worldly goods, but they cherished a rich family lore (Blumhofer, p.2). Her parents were poor but they came from sturdy New England ancestry. One of the ancestors was among the founders of Harvard University and several were graduates of that institution. Shortly after her birth, Fanny’s father died (Miller, p. 61). By late April, the Crosbys were alarmed. Something was wrong with baby’s eyes. In later years, Fanny spoke of a sickness that made her eyes “very weak”. More disconcerting, the family was unable to
There are plenty of notable female hymn writers throughout the turn of the century. They have all blessed us with their musical talents, poetic filled lyrics, and their encouraging songs of worship. In the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, female composers started to illustrate their musical talents. There were quite a few of famous female hymn writers but this person I took interest in quickly. Now I want to play a game called “Guess Who’s this Hymn Writer”. In the nineteenth century, I became the best-known female composer earning the rightful title “the most creative hymnist of the gospel song period”. By the end of the nineteenth century, I became a household name and a noticeable figure on the music scene. When you think of my name is to think about the gospel songs and to remember me as the blind poet who wrote “Blessed Assurance”, “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior”, “To God Be the Glory” and countless other classics. Who am I?
Sixty miles north of New York City, the Croton River and its tributaries water the rugged hills of a narrow strip of land in eastern Putnam County, near the Connecticut border. Here Frances Jane Crosby, “America’s sweet singer in Israel”, was born 24 March 1820 in a small clapboard house built in 1758 and standing just back from Froggintown Road (Blumhofer, p.1). The only child of John and Mercy Crosby, Fanny Crosby was born into a humble home crowded with extended family. They boasted few worldly goods, but they cherished a rich family lore (Blumhofer, p.2). Her parents were poor but they came from sturdy New England ancestry. One of the ancestors was among the founders of Harvard University and several were graduates of that institution. Shortly after her birth, Fanny’s father died (Miller, p. 61). By late April, the Crosbys were alarmed. Something was wrong with baby’s eyes. In later years, Fanny spoke of a sickness that made her eyes “very weak”. More disconcerting, the family was unable to
Cited: Blumhofer, Edith Waldvogel. Her Heart Can See: The Life and Hymns of Fanny J. Crosby. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2005. Print. Jones, Francis A. Famous Hymns and Their Authors: With Portr. and Facs. Detroit: Singing Tree Pr., 1970. Print. Miller-Loessi, Basil. Ten Girls Who Became Famous. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan House, 1960. Print. Neptune, Darlene. Fanny Crosby Still Lives. Naples, FL: Neptune Ministries, 2001. Print. Ruffin, Bernard. Fanny Crosby: The Hymn Writer. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour, 1995. Print. Wells, Amos Russel. Treasure of Hymns. [S.l.]: Wilde, 1945. Print.