Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby
1820-1915
Born:
March 24, 1820, Putnam County, New York.Died:
February 12, 1915, Bridgeport, Connecticut.Buried:
Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Fanny Crosby was probably the most prolific hymnist in history. Though blinded by an incompetent doctor at six weeks of age, she wrote over 8,000 hymns. About her blindness, she said:
It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.
In her lifetime, Fanny Crosby was one of the best known women in the United States. To this day, the vast majority of American hymnals contain her work.
When she died, her tombstone carried the words, "Aunt Fanny" and "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine." Eliza Hewitt memorialized Fanny’s passing in a poem:
Away to the country of sunshine and song,
Our songbird has taken her flight,
And she who has sung in the darkness so long
Now sings in the beautiful light.
Pseudonyms:
Adrienne, Cora Alstyne, Fannie Jane Andrews, A. E. Apple, James Armstrong, Alice Atherton, Rose Bell, Carrie Bethune, Catherine Black, James Black, James L. Black, James M. Blair, Henrietta Booth, Florence Bruce, Charles Bruce, Robert Burns, Charles Carlston, Mary Carlton, Leah Church, Fannie Craddock, Eleanor Culyer, Lyman G. Dale, Ella Dayton, Flora D. D. D. D. R. Dykes, Ryan A. Eliot, James Edmonds, Lizzie Edwards, Lizzie F. A. N. F. J. C. F. J. V. A. Fannie Fanny Forrest, Mrs. Edna Frances, Carrie Frances, Grace J. Frances, Lillian G. Frances, S. Trevor Frances, Victoria Garnet, Jenny Glen, Jenie Gould, Frank Grinley, Mrs. Kate G. W. W. Harmon, Ruth Hawthorn, Carrie Hope, Frances Hops, Frances James, Annie James, Mary James, Sarah J. F. O. J. W. W. Judson, Myra Lankton, Martha Lincoln, H. N. Lindsay, W. Robert L. L. A. Lowry, Minnie B. Marion, Maude Martin, S Martin, Sallie Martin, Sam Miller, Laura Montieth, A Montieth, Alice Park, Edna L. Prentice, Mrs. L.C. Smiling, Mrs. Kate Smith, Sallie A. Smith, Sallie E. Smith, Sally Smith, Sam Sterling, J. L. Sterling, Julia Sterling, Ryan Sterling, Victoria Stewart, Victoria Taylor, Ida Scott The Children’s Friend Tilden, Louise W. Tilden, Mary V., Jenny Van A., Mrs. Van Alstyne, Fannie Van Alstyne, Fannie Jane Van Alstyne, Mrs. Van Alstyne, Mrs. Alexander Viola Wallace, Zemira Wilson, Carrie Wilson, Mrs. C. M.
Hymns:
| All the Way My Savior Leads Me | Army of Endeavor |
| At the Cross There’s Room | Awake! Awake! |
| Awake! Awake! O Heart of Mine! | Awake! For the Trumpet Is Sounding! |
| Away! Away! | Behold Me Standing at the Door |
| Behold the Wondrous Love | Blessed Are They That Believe |
| Blessed Assurance | Blessed Cross of Jesus |
| Blessed Feast, The | Blessed Homeland |
| Blessed Redeemer | Blest, Blest Forever |
| Blind Bartimeus | Blood Washed Throng, The |
| Break Forth, O Joyful Heart | Bright Forever, The |
| By and By | By the Grace of God We’ll Meet |
| Calling for You | Children Sing |
| Choose Ye Today | Christ Is Risen! |
| Christ the Lord Is King | Christian Brother, o’er the Main |
| Cleansing Fountain, The | Close to Thee |
| Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace | Come, Come Away |
| Come, Great Deliverer, Come! | Come, Oh Come, with Thy Broken Heart! |
| Come to the Fountain! | Come unto Me, Ye Weary (2) |
| Come with Rejoicing | Coming Today! |
| Conquering Now and Still to Conquer | Dark Is the Night |
| Dear Jesus, Canst Thou Help Me? | Draw Me Nearer |
| Faith in Jesus | Few More Marchings Weary, A |
| Gathering Out of Tears | Glad Tidings |
| Gladly We Will Go | Glory Ever Be to Jesus! |
| Glory to God, Hallelujah | Go Work in the Vineyard |
| God Leadeth | God So Loved the World |
| God’s Holy Church Shall Triumph | Good-night Till We Met in the Morning |
| Great Jehovah, Mighty Lord | Guiding Hand, The |
| Hark! There Comes a Whisper! | He Hideth My Soul |
| He Is All in All to Me | He Is Coming |
| Hear and Answer Prayer | Hear Us, O Savior! |
| Heavenly Father, We Beseech Thee | Here from the World We Turn |
| Hide Me | Hide Thou Me |
| Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord | How Oft in Holy Converse |
| How Sweet the Hour | I Am So Glad That Jesus Came |
| I Am Thine, O Lord | I Have Entered Beulah Land |
| I Must Have the Savior with Me | I Will Not Be Long! |
| I’ll Bear It, Lord, for Thee | In the Twinkling of an Eye |
| Is It There? | Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home |
| Jesus, My All | Jesus, My Only Hope |
| Joyfully Sing | Just a Word for Jesus |
| Keep Thou My Way | King Is Coming, The |
| Laurels, Fresh Laurels | Lay It Down |
| Let Me Lean on Thee | Lights of Home, The |
| Like a Wayward Child I’ve Wandered | Lion of Judah, The |
| Look Up! Ye Weary Ones | Lord, Abide with Me |
| Lord, Here I Am | Lord in Zion Reigneth, The |
| Meet Me There | Message Sweet Is Borne to Me, A |
| More Like Jesus Would I Be | Morning Draweth Nigh, The |
| My Savior First of All | My Song Shall Be of Jesus |
| Near the Cross | Nearer the Cross |
| Never Give Up | Never Shone a Light So Fair! |
| No King but Christ | No Sorrow There |
| O Be Saved | O Brother, Life’s Journey Beginning! |
| O Child of God | O Church of God, Arise! |
| O Eden, Dear Eden | O Fly to Him |
| O My Savior, Hear Me | Oh, How Sweet When We Mingle |
| Oh, Precious Words! | Oh, to Be Nearer |
| Oh, What Are You Going to Do? | Oh, Wonderful Word! |
| On Let Us Go | On the Banks Beyond the River |
| Only a Beam of Sunshine | Only a Little Way |
| Only a Step | Only Thy Garment’s Hem |
| Onward, Ye Pilgrims | Opening Hymn |
| Our Festive Song | Out of Bondage |
| Out on the Desert | Palace of the King, The |
| Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior | Pilgrim’s Journey, The |
| Praise Him, Praise Him | Praise, Praise His Name |
| Press On! | Redeemed |
| Rescue the Perishing | Rest over Jordan |
| Revive Thy Work, O Lord! | Room for the Penitent |
| Sacred Fountain | Safe in the Arms of Jesus |
| Save Me at the Cross | Saved by Grace |
| Savior, More Than Life | Shadow of the Rock, The |
| Shall I Be Saved Tonight? | Shepherd’s Fold on High |
| Shout in the Camp, A | Sing unto God |
| Sing with a Tuneful Spirit | So Near to the Kingdom! |
| Sound the Alarm! | Speed Away |
| Sweet Story of Jesus | Take the World, but Give Me Jesus |
| Tell It Out with Gladness | Tell Me the Story of Jesus |
| Tenderly He Leads Us | Tenderly Pleading |
| There Will I Follow Thee | They That Be Wise |
| This I Know! | This My Plea |
| Though Kindred Ties Around Us | Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet |
| Through the Valley of the Shadow | ’Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer |
| To the Work | To God Be the Glory |
| Too Late | Trusting Jesus (2) |
| Unsearchable Riches | Watch and Pray! |
| Waiting for the Promise | Walking in the Good Old Way |
| Water of Life, The | We All Can Do Good |
| We All Can Do Something for Jesus | We Are Coming Home Tonight |
| We Are Going. We Are Going | We Praise Thee, We Bless Thee |
| We Walk by Faith | Welcome for Me |
| What a Gathering | When Christ Arose |
| When Each Others Face We See | When the Dewy Light Was Fading |
| Where Is Thy Refuge? | Whom Have I in Heaven? |
| Will Jesus Find Us Watching? | Will the Angels Come? |
| Will You Come? | Yes, There Is Pardon for You |
A very complete biography can be found at Biography of Fanny Crosby (http://www.nyise.org/fanny/).
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