Cecil Frances Alexander

1823?-1895. Irish hymnwriter. Born in Dublin, she married William Alexander, rector of a country parish in Tyrone and later archbishop of Armagh. On a complaint from her godsons that they found the catechism difficult, she was prompted to write verses illustrating the creed. Well-known hymns resulting from this include “All things bright and beautiful,” “Once in royal David's city,” and “There is a green hill.” She became a prolific writer, and nearly 400 hymns and poems came from her pen, many of them written for her Sunday school class who heard them before they were published.