Charlotte Elliott
Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was a British hymn writer and poet best known for her iconic hymn, "Just As I Am, Without One Plea." Born in Clapham, Surrey, she initially gained recognition for her humorous poetry and portrait painting. However, her life took a challenging turn when her health declined sharply, leaving her a permanent invalid by 1821. During this difficult period, Elliott experienced a profound spiritual transformation after a meeting with Dr. Cesar Malan, a Swiss minister, whose encouragement led her to renounce her earlier themes and focus on sacred poetry.
Elliott's most famous hymn was composed to support her brother's charitable efforts in Brighton, where the family relocated. This hymn became widely popular, significantly outpacing other fundraising efforts. Throughout her life, Elliott wrote approximately 150 hymns and several poetry collections, including "Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted" and "Thoughts in Verse on Sacred Subjects." Despite battling health issues, she continued to produce impactful works until her death in 1871. Her legacy endures, particularly through "Just As I Am," which has been influential in various Christian communities and even inspired the title of evangelist Billy Graham's autobiography.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charlotte Elliott
Poet
- Born: March 18, 1789
- Birthplace: Clapham, Surrey, England
- Died: September 22, 1871
- Place of death: Brighton, East Sussex, England
Biography
Although little-known as a poet, Charlotte Elliott produced one of the best-known and most often sung hymns in the English language, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea.” Her other hymns and poems also reflected her deep faith in the face of adversity.
Elliott was born on March 18, 1789, in Clapham, Surrey, England, the daughter of Charles Elliott. Her uncle on her mother’s side was John Venn, a leader in the evangelical movement in the Church of England during the early 1800’s. For her first thirty years of life, “Carefree Charlotte,” as she was known, became popular both as a writer of humorous poetry and as a portrait painter, herself reading widely in poetry.
However, in 1819, Elliott’s health suddenly declined, and in 1821, she became a permanent invalid. Depressed and embittered, Elliott turned against her religious upbringing until May 9, 1822, when she met Dr. Cesar Malan, a Swiss minister and musician, at her father’s home in Clapham. In anger, Elliott asked Malan how she could come to know “peace and joy” again; he replied, “Come as you are to the Lamb of God,” and told her she would be “welcomed and relieved.” Elliott experienced an instantaneous transformation, and for the rest of her life celebrated that date as her “spiritual birthday.” Malan subsequently became a strong influence in Elliott’s spiritual development.
Malan’s words remained within Elliott’s mind as she composed poetry, renouncing her former humorous topics for the sacred. The family moved to Brighton, where Elliott’s brother, Henry Venn Elliott, ministered at St. Mary’s; he was also attempting to build a home and school for the children of needy clergy. Elliott wrote a hymn to help raise funds for this project; the result, “Just As I Am,” based on Malan’s advice to her, generated more income than all the other projects of the church combined. The hymn was published in The Invalid’s Hymn Book in 1834, edited by Elliott and containing 115 of her other works, and was set to music by American gospel musician William B. Bradbury.
Other collections followed, including Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted: Or, Thoughts in Verse (1836) and Thoughts in Verse on Sacred Subjects (1869). Eventually Elliott wrote 150 hymns; however, spending the rest of her life in Brighton, Elliott never regained her health and endured much discomfort throughout her life. She died in her sleep on September 22, 1871, at the age of eighty-two. Selections from the Poems of Charlotte Elliott was published in 1873, and a selection of her letters and journal writings in 1874.
In 1997, well-known American evangelist Billy Graham titled his autobiography Just As I Am, after using the hymn for decades to close each of his crusades. Despite her other writings, Elliott’s place in literary history continues to rest upon the fame of that single poem.