William Lindsay Alexander

William Lindsay Alexander was a Scottish Congregational minister, biblical scholar, and author born near Leith on August 24, 1808. The son of William Alexander, he received his education at the Universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews before taking a post in 1828 as Classical Tutor at the institution that later became Lancashire College. Following further theological studies at the University of Halle in Germany, he was called in 1835 as pastor of the North College Street Congregational Church in Edinburgh. He led this congregation for over four decades, guiding their relocation in 1861 to the newly constructed Augustine Church on George IV Bridge until his retirement from active pastoral leadership in 1877.

Beyond his pastoral duties, Alexander held prominent academic and editorial positions within Scottish Protestantism. From 1854 to 1881, he served as a professor in the Scottish Congregational Theological Hall. His scholarly achievements were recognized with a Doctor of Divinity degree from St. Andrews in 1846 and a Doctor of Laws degree from Edinburgh in 1884. In 1870, he was invited to join the prestigious Old Testament Revision Company. Alongside his extensive theological publications, Alexander made significant contributions to sacred music by compiling a hymnbook titled Selections of Hymns, widely known as the Augustine Hymn Book (first published in 1849), which introduced several of his original hymns and translations. He died at Pinkieburn, Musselburgh, on December 20, 1884.