Cecil Frances Alexander
Cecil Frances Alexander was an influential Irish poet and hymn writer, born in 1818 in Dublin. She was the daughter of Major John Humphreys and Elizabeth Reed, and from a young age, she demonstrated a talent for writing. Her hymns garnered significant popularity during the Victorian era in both Ireland and England, with her most notable work being "Hymns for Little Children" published in 1848, which includes the beloved hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful." Alexander's religious beliefs were shaped by prominent spiritual figures of her time, including Dr. W. F. Hook, and she was an active supporter of the Oxford Movement.
In 1850, she married the Reverend William Alexander, who later became the Bishop of Derry and eventually the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh. Throughout her life, she was not only devoted to her writing but also engaged in charitable work, including the establishment of a nursing service and support for the Derry Home for Fallen Women. After her passing in 1895, her contributions to literature and religious thought were compiled and published posthumously by her husband. Alexander's hymns and poetry continue to be celebrated for their lyrical quality and enduring impact on religious music.
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Subject Terms
Cecil Frances Alexander
Poet
- Born: April 1, 1818
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Died: October 12, 1895
- Place of death: Londonderry, Ireland
Biography
Born Cecil Frances Humphreys in Dublin, Ireland, in 1818, Cecil Frances Alexander was the third child of Elizabeth Reed and Major John Humphreys, a relatively prosperous land agent. From an early age, she wrote poetry and hymns; her hymns subsequently became some of the most popular of the Victorian era in Ireland and England.
Her religious views came under the formative influence of Dr. W. F. Hook, dean of Chichester, who edited her collection Verses from the Holy Scriptures. She was also a fervent supporter of the Oxford Movement, another major spiritual influence. She published several of her own poems as well as French translations of poems in Dublin University Magazine, provoking the admiration of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Several of her religious tracts were also published during this period. Her best-known work appeared in Hymns for Little Children (1848), which contains the classic “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The opening lines of this poem (”All things bright and beautiful, / All creatures great and small, / All things wise and wonderful, / The Lord God made them all”) provided the titles for the popular twentieth century series of books by British veterinarian James Herriott.
In October 1850, she married the Reverend William Alexander of Strabane Church. They lived at Strabane from 1860 to 1867. William Alexander became bishop of Derry in the Church of Ireland in 1867 and eventually was named the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland. Much of their later life together was spent in Derry, with many trips to France. Seven of Alexander’s hymns were included in the Church of Ireland Hymnal of 1873, and eighteen appeared in A Supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern (1889). According to the composer Charles Gounod, her lyrical poems “seemed to set themselves to music.” Her religious devotion also manifested itself in her development of a nursing service and her aid to the Derry Home for Fallen Women. After her death in 1895, Alexander’s remaining poems, hymns, and tracts were collected, edited, and published in 1896 by her husband under the title Poems of the Late Mrs. Alexander.