Thomas Cotterill
1779-1823
Born:
December 4, 1779, Cannock, Staffordshire, England.After attending the local boarding school of Rev. J. Lomax, Cotterill went the Free School in Birmingham. He graduated at St. John’s College, Cambridge (B.A. 1801, M.A. 1805), of which he became a Fellow. Taking Holy Orders, he became Curate of Tutbury in June 1803. Subsequently, he held positions as Incumbent of Lane End, Staffordshire, 1808-17, and Perpetual Curate of St. Paul’s Sheffield, 1817-1823.
Cotterill published his Family Prayers in six editions. Though he did write some original hymns, he is better known as the compiler of Selection of Psalms and Hymns, adapted to the Festivals of the Church of England, which had a marked effect on modern hymnals. The first edition of Selection was in 1810, and the ninth in 1820. Cotterill himself contributed 25 original hymns and versions of individual psalms to Selection.
Died: December 29, 1823, Sheffield, England (John Julian says the Gentlemen’s Magazine incorrectly published Cotterill’s death date as January 5, 1824).
Hymns:
Awake, O Sword, the Father Cried | Before Thy Throne of Grace, O Lord |
Blessed Are They Who Mourn for Sin | Father of Mercies, Let Our Songs |
From Sinai’s Mount, in Might Arrayed | From Thine All Seeing Spirit, Lord |
| God, in the Gospel of His Son | Help Us, O Lord, Thy Yoke to Wear |
I Love the Lord, for He Hath Heard | I Was Alive Without the Law |
In All the Ways and Works of God | Jesus Exalted Far on High |
Let Songs of Praises Fill the Sky | Lo in the East a Star Appears |
Lord, Cause Thy Face on Us to Shine | Lord, Who Once on Calvary, The |
Lord of the Sabbath, ’Tis Thy Day | O’er the Realms of Pagan Darkness |
Out of the Deeps, O Lord, We Call | When Christ, Victorious from the Grave |
Source: The Cyberhymnal