Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parsons, Elizabeth (1812-1873)

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945469Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 43 — Parsons, Elizabeth (1812-1873)1895James Cuthbert Hadden

PARSONS, ELIZABETH (1812–1873), hymn-writer, was the daughter of W. Rooker, congregational minister of Tavistock, Devonshire, and was born there on 5 June 1812. In 1844 she married T. Edgecumbe Parsons, and died at Plymouth in 1873. From 1840 to 1844 she conducted a class for young people in her father's chapel, and for them she wrote several hymns, eighteen of which were afterwards printed by one of her pupils for private circulation, under the title of ‘Willing Class Hymns.’ Two have become popular, ‘Jesus, we love to meet,’ and ‘O Happy Land! O Happy Land!’ and others are found in various collections. She wrote a few hymns for adults, but these have only been printed for private use.

[Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology; Garrett Horder's Hymn Lover.]

J. C. H.