Cecil Frances Alexander

Cecil Frances Alexander, née Humphreys, was an Irish hymnwriter born in 1823 as the second daughter of Major John Humphreys of Miltown House, County Tyrone. In 1850, she married the Reverend William Alexander, who later became the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe and Archbishop of Armagh. Throughout her literary career, Mrs. Alexander composed nearly four hundred hymns and poems, gaining particular distinction for her ability to explain complex Christian doctrines to children in accessible, beautiful verse.

Her collections include Verses for Holy Seasons (1846), Hymns for Little Children (1848), Narrative Hymns for Village Schools (1853), Poems on Subjects in the Old Testament (1854, 1857), and Hymns Descriptive and Devotional (1858). Her work also featured prominently in major nineteenth-century collections such as Hymns Ancient and Modern and the SPGK Psalms and Hymns.

While some of her descriptive and narrative verse was less widely adopted, her devotional songs achieved immense global popularity and remain among the most beloved hymns in the English language. Her most famous works include the iconic creation hymn "All things bright and beautiful," the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's city," the Passion hymn "There is a green hill far away," the saints' day song "Jesus calls us o'er the tumult," and the morning hymn "The roseate hues of early dawn."