London 1904

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

49. 1914 Post sailing 2

The next poem has noted beneath it' F.R. Havergal 1914'.
It is titled in the book ‘Can you say “and for me’

Frances Ridley Havergal was a poet, hymn-writer, musician, composer and linguist. Born in 1836. She was the youngest child of Canon W. H. Havergal, composer of hymnal tunes and sacred music. Frances had a fairly short life (dying at the age of 42 of hepatitis) but during that life she wrote many hymns, was regular speaker and correspondent for the Church of England and visited Switzerland 5 times were she enjoyed mountain walking and climbing in the Alps.

The words in F.A.I.s book is taken from the first hymn Frances wrote in 1858

I Gave my Life for Thee It was re­cast in 1871, under the ti­tle “Thy Life Was Giv­en for Me”:

The words in F.A.I.’s book are a mixture of the 2 hymns.

F.A.I was 14 when his mother died and I wonder if, until he went to work as a potman in 1901, he lived with his Aunt Matilda who was married to Edgar, the church organist? I feel they were religious people and maybe this influence led to the recall of this hymn.

I gave my life for thee
My precious blood I shed
That thou mightest ransomed be
And quickened form the dead
I gave my life for thee
What hast thou given for me
I suffered much for this
More than my tongue can tell
Of bitterest agony
To rescue you from Hell
I suffered much for thee
What canst thou bear for me

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