Henry Francis Lyte
Born: June 1, 1793, Ednam, Scotland.
Died: November 20, 1847, Nice, France.
Buried: English Cemetery, Nice, France.
Henry Francis Lyte was born June 1, 1793, at Ednam, Scotland; he was raised as
an orphan and became a scholar at Trinity College, Dublin. For a time he
considered studying medicine, but changed to theology. After graduation he
served several parishes in Ireland and England, including Marazion in Cornwall,
where he underwent a great spiritual change.
In 1823 he became pastor at a little fishing village, Lower
Brixham, in Devonshire, England, where he stayed 24 years until his death in
1847. When King William the Fourth visited Brixham, he was so delighted with the
reception accorded him at the church that he gave the house at Berry Head,
overlooking Torbay, to Lyte as his residence. Here is where most of his hymns
were written, many taken from collections of his poetry.
He gave himself wholeheartedly to these rough people of the
sea. At one time he had nearly 800 children in the Sunday school, with some 70
teachers. Under a busy program his health broke down, and in spite of going to
the Riviera to recover from tuberculosis, he died at Nice November 20, 1847, at
the age of 54.
He wrote two books of religious poetry and hymns:
|
Ere
the Night Fall |
|
|
Why do I sigh
to find I want not
vulgar fame— But might I
leave behind |
Might verse
of mine inspire Death would
be sweeter then, O Thou whose
touch can lend |
Hymns