"From the table now retiring": John vs. James Rowe

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Haruo's picture

I have grave doubts about the nearly ubiquitous attribution of "From the table now retiring" to James Rowe. If there was a James Rowe involved with it in the way the database shows, it cannot have been the James Rowe (Rowe_J) that it is linked to. That James Rowe may have altered the John Rowe text, but it is impossible for his alteration to have appeared in hymnals published prior to his birth. It is also impossible for the John Rowe (Rowe_Jo) to whom other hymnals attribute the text to have been this James's father. The uncanny similarity of John's and James's birth and death years (1764-1832/3 and 1865-1833 respectively) may have contributed to the misinformation.

Unfortunately, except in the cases where there is a page scan available, I cannot help with the correction of the instances, which are legion (or at least in the 80s). I did correct CW1941, which says "John", not "James" as it said previously (copying the data from the 1953 edition, which I think is misrepresented).