These are three of Frances Ridley Havergal’s least known works, so very obscure and rare now, yet what piles of gold are found in these pages. Though all three were published posthumously, Frances herself prepared Echoes and the Birthday Book. Echoes from the Word has 67 poems or excerpts from poems, arranged around the Anglican Church calendar. The Birthday Book has 366 daily texts of Scripture selected and arranged by F.R.H.; Rev. Charles Bullock edited this book, adding a poem by her at the start of each month and also Scripture texts for each month and for each week of each month. Royal Gems and Wayside Chimes, having a prose excerpt and a poem for each of the twelve months, was compiled by Rev. Bullock, who knew her well and valued her so much, a very important publisher and advocate for her works. These would make a sterling calendar appointment book. Many hours could be spent, with much value gained, in these three little books.
Frances Ridley Havergal, the daughter of a Church of England minister, is well known for her great hymns of consecration including the famous Take My Life and Let It Be. She also wrote hymn melodies, religious tracts, and works for children.
In 1852/3 she studied in the Louisenschule, Dusseldorf, and at Oberkassel. Otherwise she led a quiet life, not enjoying consistent good health; she travelled, in particular to Switzerland. She supported the Church Missionary Society.
She died of peritonitis at Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. Her sisters saw much of her work published posthumously. Havergal College, a private girls' school in Toronto, is named after her. The composer Havergal Brian adopted the name as a tribute to the Havergal family.
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