Frances Ridley Havergal

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Frances Ridley Havergal



Frances Ridley Havergal (December 14, 1836 – June 3, 1879) was an English religious poet and hymn writer. Thy Life for Me is one of her best known hymns. She also wrote hymn melodies, religious tracts, and works for children.

She was born into an Anglican family, at Astley in Worcestershire. Her father, William Henry Havergal (1793–1870), was a clergyman, writer, composer, and hymnwriter. Her brother, Henry East Havergal, was a priest in the Church of England and an organist.
In 1852/3 she studied in the Louisenschule, Düsseldorf, and at Oberkassel. Otherwise she led a quiet life, not enjoying consistent good health; she travelled, in particular to Switzerland. She supported the Church Missionary Society.
She died of peritonitis at Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. Her sisters saw much of her work published posthumously. Havergal College, a private girls' school in Toronto, is named after her. The composer Havergal Brian adopted the name as a tribute to the Havergal family.

Works

Ministry of Song (1870)
Take My Life and Let it Be (1874)
Under the Surface (1874)
The four happy days (1874)
Royal Commandments (1878)
O Merciful Redeemer
Loyal Responses (1878)
Kept for the Master's Use (1879) memoirs
Life Chords (1880)
Royal Bounty (1880)
Little Pillows, or Goodnight Thoughts for the Little Ones (1880)
Morning bells, or, Waking thoughts for the little ones (1880)
Swiss Letters and Alpine Poems (1881) edited by J. M. Crane
Under His Shadow: the Last Poems of Frances Ridley Havergal (1881)
The Royal Invitation (1882)
Life Echoes (1883)
Poetical Works (1884) edited by M. V. G. Havergal and Frances Anna Shaw
Coming to the King (1886)
My King and His Service (1896)
Forget Me Nots of Promise, Text from Scripture and verses by Frances Ridley Havergal, Marcus Ward&Co.

Bibliography

Frances Ridley Havergal Janet Grierson, The Havergal Society, Worcester 1979 ISBN 0-9506544-0 X
Frances Ridley Havergal's Last Week (1879) Maria Vernon Graham Havergal
Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal, by her Sister (1880) M. V. G. Havergal, including an autobiography
Florence Nightingale, Frances Ridley Havergal, Catherine Marsh, Mrs Ranyard (1885) Lizzie Alldridge
Frances Ridley Havergal: a full sketch of her life, (1904) Edward Davies
Women who have worked and won : the life-story of Mrs. Spurgeon, Mrs. Booth-Tucker, F.R. Havergal, and Pandita Ramabai (1904) Jennie Chappell
In Trouble and in Joy: Four Women Who Lived for God, (2004) Sharon James, ISBN 0852345844. Biographies of Margaret Baxter (1639–1681), Sarah Edwards (1710–1758), Anne Steele (1717–1778) and Frances Ridley Havergal

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Light after darkness
Frances Ridley Havergal

Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after suffering, crown after cross.
Sweet after bitter, song after sigh,
Home after wandering, praise after cry.

Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain,
Sight after mystery, peace after pain.
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast,
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last.

Near after distant, gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb.
After long agony, rapture of bliss!
Right was the pathway leading to this!