William Kethe
1520–1594 · England · Reformation
William Kethe was an English Protestant clergyman and hymnist who played a pivotal role during the English Reformation of the 16th century. He is best known for his significant contributions to the Anglo-Genevan Psalter, a groundbreaking collection of metrical psalm paraphrases that bridged Reformed theology and English vernacular worship. Kethe authored several notable hymn texts, including the popular hymn "All People That on Earth Do Dwell," which remains widely sung in Protestant churches today. His work exemplified the Protestant commitment to making Scripture accessible to congregations through metrical translations in English rather than Latin. Through his hymnodic output, Kethe helped establish a lasting tradition of English psalm singing that influenced Protestant worship practices for centuries to come.