William Chatterton Dix
1837–1898 · England · Romantic
Bristol insurance manager and high-church Anglican layman, author of 'As with Gladness Men of Old', 'Alleluia! Sing to Jesus' and 'What Child Is This?'.
Life
William Chatterton Dix was born in Bristol in 1837, the son of a surgeon and writer who named him after the poet Thomas Chatterton. Raised in a Nonconformist household, he was baptised into the Church of England in 1844. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and later worked in business in Glasgow as manager of a marine insurance company. He was a layman throughout his life, a devout high-churchman, and a writer of devotional works. He died in 1898.
As a Hymn Writer
Dix's first collection, Hymns of Love and Joy, appeared in 1861, and his hymns soon entered Hymns Ancient and Modern. They are vivid and liturgical: 'As with Gladness Men of Old' turns the Magi's journey into a prayer for our own; 'Alleluia! Sing to Jesus' celebrates the ascended Christ present in the Eucharist; 'What Child Is This?' sets the Christmas question to GREENSLEEVES. He also made metrical versions of Greek hymns.
In The Lutheran Hymnal and Lutheran Service Book (3)
- As with Gladness Men of Old
- Come unto Me, Ye Weary
- To Thee, O Lord, Our Hearts We Raise
Sources: Wikipedia, 'William Chatterton Dix'.