James Grant

Short Name: James Grant
Full Name: Grant, James, d. 1785
Death Year: 1785

Grant, James, born probably in Edinburgh, but date unknown, and d. there on Jan. 1st, 1785. An ironmonger by trade, he carried on his business in West Bow, Edinburgh. From 1746 to 1752 he held several offices of importance in the Town Council of Edinburgh. Amongst several works of benevolence which received his aid the Orphan Hospital in Edinburgh was specially favoured, and to it the profits of the 1st and 2nd ed. of his Hymns, &c, were given. Those hymns and poems were mainly written to popular Scottish melodies, and were published as:—
Original Hymns and Poems, written by a Private Christian for his own use, and Published at the earnest desire of Friends, Edinburgh, 1784. (2nd ed., 1820, 3rd a reprint by D. Sedgwick, Lond., 1862.)
Of the hymns the best known is "O Zion, afflicted with wave upon wave." (God’s Unchangeable Love.) It appeared as Hymn xvi. in the Original Hymns, &c, 1784, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, and is found in several modern collections, including the New Congregational Hymn Book, 1859, No. 610, and others.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology


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