I Think, When I Read that Sweet Story of Old

Jemima Luke (1813–1906)

Jemima Luke was an English hymn writer, poet, and Christian author best remembered for a single beloved hymn that has become one of the most enduring children’s hymns in the English language. Though she wrote other works, her lasting influence on hymnody rests primarily on her gentle and instructive hymn about the love of Jesus for children.

She was born Jemima Thompson on August 19, 1813, at Islington. She was the daughter of Thomas Thompson, a philanthropist, and grew up in a Christian environment that encouraged learning and charitable concern. From an early age, she showed literary ability, beginning to write for the Juvenile Magazine when she was only thirteen years old.

In 1843 she married the Reverend Samuel Luke, an Independent (Congregational) minister in England. She later became known as Jemima Luke.

Literary work

Although she wrote several books, including The Female Jesuit (1851) and a biography titled A Memoir of Eliza Ann Harris of Clifton (1859), her broader literary output remained secondary to her hymn writing.

The hymn legacy

Jemima Luke is best known for her hymn:

“I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old”

This hymn reflects on the Gospel accounts of Jesus welcoming and blessing little children. It emphasizes innocence, faith, and the desire to belong to Christ, drawing directly from passages such as Mark 10:13–16.

According to tradition, she wrote the hymn while traveling in a stagecoach in 1841, intending it for use in a village school connected to her family’s estate at Poundsford Park. It was later published anonymously in the Leeds Hymn Book, and gradually became one of the most widely used children’s hymns in English-speaking churches.

The hymn opens with the well-known line:

“I think when I read that sweet story of old…”

Its simple language and tender tone made it especially suitable for children’s worship, Sunday schools, and family devotions.

Death and legacy

Jemima Luke died on February 2, 1906. Though her written works are not widely read today, her hymn continues to be sung across generations.

Her legacy is defined by a single enduring contribution: a hymn that has helped countless children learn of the love of Christ in a simple, memorable, and heartfelt way.