H. C. Ayres

H. C. Ayres was born around 1849 and was a resident of Philadelphia as a member of the Baptist denomination. He is best known as the author of the popular gospel hymn "One there is who loves thee," which gained widespread familiarity across Great Britain through its inclusion in Ira D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos (No. 310). The hymn was composed during the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia after Ayres was inspired by a phrase spoken in prayer by composer W. H. Doane: "One there is Who loves and waits to bless." Ayres drafted the manuscript and presented it to Doane, who promptly composed a musical setting for publication. Ayres also authored the hymn "No other Name," though this second text remained largely uncirculated in British collections.