Roland Ford Palmer was an English-born Canadian Anglican priest, monastic superior, and hymnwriter. Born in London, England, on December 12, 1891, he emigrated to Canada during his youth. He pursued higher education at Trinity College in Toronto, earning his Licentiate in Theology in 1914 followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1916.

Ordained into the Anglican ministry, Palmer began his pastoral service in Ontario with charges at Englehart from 1916 to 1918 and Port Arthur from 1918 to 1919. Seeking a dedicated monastic life, he joined the Society of St. John the Evangelist (commonly known as the Cowley Fathers) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1919. His leadership abilities quickly led to significant responsibilities within the order. He served as Novice Master and later Superior in San Francisco between 1921 and 1927, before returning to Ontario to serve as Superior at Bracebridge across two terms (1927–1949 and 1966–1969). He also served as Diocesan Missioner for the Diocese of Algoma from 1949 until 1966.

Beyond his pastoral and monastic commitments, Palmer contributed to the liturgical and devotional life of the Anglican Church. He authored four devotional books and played an influential role in the 1959 revision of the Canadian Book of Common Prayer. He is most widely recognized in hymnology for his Christ-centered Marian text, "Sing of Mary, pure and lowly". Adapted from an anonymous 1914 poem based on the Annunciation, the hymn was published in the 1938 Book of Common Praise, where it was initially credited anonymously.

Palmer retired to Toronto in 1969 and later relocated to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1979. He passed away in Victoria on August 24, 1985, leaving behind a lasting impact on Canadian Anglican worship and global hymnody.