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She was the youngest daughter of Tobias Porter, manager of John Alexander's flour mill in Belfast. Of her early life nothing is known (*see note below); but in 1894 she became secretary of the YWCA in Swansea. She then served with the South Africa General Mission from 1897-1907, mostly in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg, helping to found several branches of the YWCA.
With the chairman of the Mission and a fellow missionary she toured North America in 1906-7; her intended return to South Africa in November 1907 was cancelled in favour of marriage, on 17 December, to the chairman, Albert Alfred Head (1844-1928), a wealthy - and generous - insurance underwriter who had been widowed three years previously.
With her husband she continued actively to support both the SAGM and the Keswick Convention, with which the mission was closely associated. She was a frequent speaker for both organizations and a prolific contributor, in prose and in verse, to their publications.
A collection of her writings, Heavenly Places, & Other Messages, was published in 1920.
Invariably known as Bessie Porter before her marriage, she later styled herself Bessie Porter Head. After her husband's death in 1928 she moved into the SAGM house in Wimbledon, where she died.
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(See also DNB; Julian pp.503-504a)
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(See also GDM)
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He graduated from Wadham College Oxford in 1749, and in 1759 became rector of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe with St Anne, Blackfriars, London.
His Divine Harmony, a collection of hymn tunes, was published 34 years after his death.
(see also DNB)
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For (part of) "Notes on the Life of George Herbert" (an anonymous booklet circulated at St Andrew's, Bemerton, c.1939) and a pamphlet giving "A few Facts about George Herbert's Church of St Andrew, Bemerton", click here > > . The first of these gives a good outline of George Herbert's life; and it includes a number of extracts from Izaac Walton's extended "Life" of the poet, published in 1670. A full transcription of Izaac Walton's "Life" is available: click here > > for this.
For notes on "The Temple" (George Herbert's poems, published posthumously by his friend Nicholas Ferrar), click here > > ; and for the Introduction to a 19th-century edition of "The Temple", by William Archbishop of Armagh (William Alexander), click here > > .
A note by R.F.Newton in the Hymn Society Bulletin No. 109, p.127 (Spring 1967) corrects a common mis-statement:
[ George Herbert ] is often mis-called "parish priest of Bemerton"; he was actually rector of Fugglestone St Peter which included the chapelry of St Andrew, Bemerton. The present chapel there is dedicated to St John. Bemerton has never been a parish; administratively it is a ward of Salisbury.
(See also DNB; DWB; OCEL; OCLW; Julian pp.511b-512a)
A commemorative poem by Richard Crashaw (c.1613-1649) is reproduced below:
- Know you, fair, on what you look;
- Divinest love lies in this book:
- Expecting fire from your eyes,
- To kindle this his sacrifice.
- When your hands untie these strings,
- Think you have an angel by th' wings.
- One that gladly will be nigh,
- To wait upon each morning sigh.
- To flutter in the balmy air,
- Of your well perfumed prayer.
- These white plumes of his he'll lend you,
- Which every day to heaven will send you:
- To take acquaintance of the Sphere,
- And all the smooth faced kindred there.
- And though Herbert's name do owe
- These devotions, fairest; know
- That while I lay them on the shrine
- Of your white hand, they are mine.
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He was educated at the St Lorenz School, Nuremberg, and studied theology and philosophy at Altdorf and Jena. He was appointed rector of Eisleben Gymnasium (Grammar School) and pastor of St Andreas's Church there in 1680, but died of the plague in the following year, aged only 27.
Four chorales in the Nuremberg Gesangbuch of 1676 under the initials `M.H.' have been attributed to him.
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Rosamond Herklots
b. Masuri, N.India: 22 June 1905
d. Greenwich, London: 21 July 1987
She was born of missionary parents in India, and was educated in England at Leeds Girls High School and the University of Leeds where she graduated with honours in French in 1928. For some years she was a school teacher, and later took up secretarial work. Although she had been writing hymns since about 1940, it was not until 1969 that she received recognition, both in England and elsewhere, with her hymn “Forgive our sins as we forgive”. This was published in both Hymns and Songs (1969 UK Methodist Supplement to the 1933 Methodist Hymn Book) and 100 Hymns for Today (1969 Supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern). The hymn has since found a secure place in practically every major hymnal throughout the English-speaking world. Other hymns by her have appeared in (among others) Partners in Praise (1979, compiled by Fred Pratt Green and Bernard Brayley) and the American Hymnal 1982.
Many more hymns and poems exist (at present, viz. in 2003) only in manuscript, in the possession of her nephew, the Revd Canon John Herklots.
Other hymns by Rosamond Herklots listed in the UK “HymnQuest” database 2003 (hymns in UK hymn-books currently in print):
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Our God is one who makes things |
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The Bible speaks in many tongues |
Partners in Praise: Stainer & Bell 1979 |
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They asked the stranger in to stay |
Hymns & Congregational Songs: Vol.1.1: Stainer & Bell 1988 |
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Zaccheus was a lonely man |
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The composer of the chant at RS-718 cannot be firmly identified, but he was possibly organist of Bristol Cathedral 1759-65, and vicar-choral of Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedrals Dublin, 1765.
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He became court musician to the Elector of Brandenburg at Berlin in 1666. Following the death of Johann Crüger in 1662, he edited the twelfth and subsequent editions of Praxis Pietatis Melica (1666-98), adding an appendix of 65 new melodies of his own composition.
(See also GDM)
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(See Crockford)
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He was of German parentage, and his father was a minister of the (USA) Evangelical Association for over 60 years. Elisha studied at Union Bible Seminary (of the Evangelical Association), New Berlin, Pa; and, after ordination in the church, served in the publishing house of the Association in Cleveland Ohio 1868-79. He was minister of Congregational churches in Cleveland and Grafton, Ohio 1881-92; and of Presbyterian churches in Vassar Michigan 1892-97, Benton Harbour Michigan 1897-1911, and Carbery Illinois 1911-22.
He was music editor for Hope Publishing Company 1894-1912, editing over 50 hymnals and song-books and writing words or music for about 2000 gospel songs.
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Little is known of him, except that he published The Spiritual Man's Companion (a collection of psalm tunes) in several editions between 1724 and 1753, Chants & Anthems 1733, and a few other works; and that he often used the pseudonym `Philo-Musicae'.
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(See also DNB; Julian p.1649b)
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(See also DAB; OCEL; Julian p.530a)
For a tribute to O.W.Holmes on his 75th birthday, written by John Greenleaf Whittier, click here > > .
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His father, who was of Swedish descent, was a piano teacher and organist of All Saints' Church, Cheltenham. Gustav began composing while still at school (Cheltenham Grammar School); then, after two years as a village organist at Wyck Rissington, Gloucestershire, he studied composition under C.V.Stanford at the Royal College of Music (1893-98), meanwhile supporting himself by playing the trombone in various theatre orchestras and the organ in several London churches.
After a period as trombonist with the Carl Rosa opera orchestra, he was music master at James Allen's Girls' School, Dulwich 1903-20; St Paul's Girls' School 1905-34; and (particularly as music director at Morley College for Working Men and Women, 1907-24) was prominent in adult education. In 1919 he became teacher of composition at the Royal College of Music, and also taught at University College Reading from 1919-23. During the last year of World War I he was music organizer for the YMCA in army camps in Salonika and Asia Minor.
His compositions include operas, choral and orchestral works, and he wrote or arranged fourteen hymn tunes.
His ashes are buried in the north transept of Chichester Cathedral.
(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)
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End of Biographies H2. Return to Top . . .
(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 13/5/04)