Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/465

 THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 453

Hymn 887. Brightly gleams our banner. THOMAS JOSEPH POTTER.

A favourite processional for children. Appeared, with music, in Holy Family Hymns, 1860, with much Roman teaching woven into it. The form here given is from Appendix to S.P.C.K. Psalms and Hymns, 1869, and has less of the original than any other arrangement of the hymn.

Mr. Potter (1827-73) was born at Scarborough, joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1847, and took orders. He was Professor of Pulpit Eloquence and English Literature in All Hallows Missionary College, Dublin. Mr. Potter published several books on preaching, some stories, and various hymns and translations.

Hymn 888. Around the throne of God in heaven.

ANNE SHEPHERD.

^ This hymn appeared in her Hymns adapted to the Comprehension of Young Minds. Date of 1st edition not known ; 3rd edition, 1847. Dr. Moffat translated the hymn into Sechuana fur his Kuruman Collection, 1838.

Mrs. Shepherd was the daughter of Rev. E. H. Houlditch, Rector of Speen, Berks ; was born at Cowes in 1809, and married Mr. S. Savile Shepherd in 1843. Two of her novels attracted considerable attention. She died at Blackheath in 1857.

Hymn 889. There is a better world, they say. JOHN LYTH, D.D. (1821-86).

Written at Stroud, in Gloucestershire, where Dr. Lyth was then stationed, on April 30, 1845, f r the anniversary of the neighbouring infant-school at Randwich, to the air All is well, then very popular. Dr. Lyth s hymn first appeared in the Home and School Hymn-book.

Dr. Lyth was born at York, entered the Wesleyan ministry in 1843, became the first Wesleyan minister in Germany, 1859. He wrote a history of Methodism in York, and a volume entitled Wild Flowers, a selection of poems by Dr. Punshon and himself and his family.

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