Essex Hymn Writers (Part II)

What is the connection between the story Pygmalion, which later became My Fair Lady, and the author of the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers? The answer is the remarkable Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924), who between 1871 and 1881 was Rector of East Mersea, and a prolific writer of books (over 100) and hymns.

Baring-Gould had one of the most brilliant, eclectic minds of Victorian England. Born into the landed gentry, he attended schools in Germany and France, went to Clare College, Cambridge, learned six languages, and entered the ministry in 1864 at the age of 30.

Sabine married in 1868 Grace Taylor and they were to be married for 48 years. When she died in 1916 he had carved on her tombstone ‘Dimidium Animae Meae’ (Half my Soul).

They had 15 children, all but one of whom lived to reach adulthood. However, it would appear Sabine had little understanding of children. There is a story that at a children's party one evening he called to a young child, ‘And whose little girl are you?’ The child burst into tears replying, ‘I'm yours Daddy.’

Perhaps his most famous hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers, was written whilst he was a curate in Yorkshire, where incidentally he met Grace. The popularity of the hymn amazed Sabine, who said that he had ‘dashed’ the words off in ten minutes. Baring-Gould wrote about this hymn: ‘Whit-Monday is a great day for school festivals in Yorkshire. One Whit-Monday, thirty years ago, it was arranged that our school should join forces with that of a neighbouring village. I wanted the children to sing when marching from one village to another, but couldn't think of anything quite suitable; so I sat up at night, resolved that I would write something myself. Onward, Christian Soldiers was the result. It was written in great haste, and I am afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. Certainly nothing has surprised me more than its popularity. I don't remember how it got printed first, but I know that very soon it found its way into several collections. I have written a few other hymns since then, but only two or three have become at all well-known.’

This hymn was sung at the funeral of American president Dwight Eisenhower at the National Cathedral, Washington, DC, in March 1969.

In addition he wrote Sing Lullaby and also translated Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow. Baring-Gould eventually retired to his family estate in Devon where he died in 1924, shortly before his 90th birthday, a remarkable man indeed. And the connection with Pygmalion? Baring-Gould was a friend of George Bernard Shaw who, influenced by the romance between Sabine and Grace Taylor, led him to writing Pygmalion.

Another well-known hymn, Crown Him with Many Crowns, was written by Essex-born Matthew Bridges, who was born on 14th July 1800 at The Friars, Maldon. He was the younger son of John Bridges of Surrey. Although raised in the Church of England, he was converted to the Roman Catholic faith in 1848.

He spent some time in Quebec, Canada, before returning to England. Bridges died on the 6th October 1894, and is buried at the Convent of St Dominic in Devon.

Edwin Hatch was born in Derby on 14th September 1835 of Nonconformist parents and was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and Pembroke College, Oxford. He had many struggles to pass through in early life, which tended to discipline his character and to form the habits of severe study and mental independence for which he came to be distinguished. Hatch became scholar of Pembroke College, Oxford, took a second-class in classics in 1857, and won the Ellerton prize in 1858. He was professor of classics in Trinity College, Toronto, from 1859 to 1862, when he became rector of the high school at Quebec. In 1867 he returned to Oxford, and was made vice-principal of St Mary Hall, a post which he held until 1885. In 1883 he was presented to the living of Purleigh in Essex, and in 1884 was appointed university reader in ecclesiastical history. In 1878 Hatch wrote the hymn Breathe on me Breath of God.

Hatch died at Headington on the 10th November 1889.