Havergal

Havergal

English religious poet, hymn writer and musician, Frances Ridley Havergal was born on December 14, 1836 at Astley, Worcestershire into a cultured, religious family. “Thy Life for Me” is one of her best known hymns. She also wrote hymn melodies, religious tracts, and works for children. She died of peritonitis at Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales at age 42 on June 3, 1879. Her hymns were used by the Church of England and by non-conformist religions. These hymns have survived repeated hymn book revisions and continue to appear in Anglican, United Church and Presbyterian hymnals. Havergal College, a private girls' school in Toronto established in 1894 is named after her.