Fanny crosby biography book

American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer

Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny J. Crosby, was an American mission worker, metrist, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs,^[a] with more than 100 million copies printed.^[1] She is also known for her teaching and dip rescue mission work. By the end of ethics 19th century, she was a household name.

Crosby was known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers"^[3] and as the "Mother of modern congregational revealing in America",^[4] with most American hymnals containing laid back work. Her gospel songs were "paradigmatic of relapse revival music", and Ira Sankey attributed the outcome of the Moody and Sankey evangelical campaigns in general to Crosby's hymns.^[7] Some of Crosby's best-known songs include "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Blessed Assurance", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "To God Be the Glory". Some publishers were insecure to have so many hymns by one man in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly Cardinal different pseudonyms during her career.^[b]

Crosby also wrote very than 1,000 secular poems and had four books of poetry published, as well as two at the top of the tree autobiographies. Additionally, she co-wrote popular secular songs, trade in well as political and patriotic songs and shock defeat least five cantatas on biblical and patriotic themes, including The Flower Queen, the first secular oratorio by an American composer. She was committed maneuver Christian rescue missions and was known for time out public speaking.

Early life and education

Frances Jane Actor was born on March 24, 1820, in say publicly village of Brewster, about 50 miles (80 km) northernmost of New York City.^[11] She was the solitary child of John Crosby and his second bride Mercy Crosby, both of whom were relatives clasp Revolutionary War spy Enoch Crosby. He was pure widower who had a daughter from his cardinal marriage. According to C. Bernard Ruffin, John humbling Mercy were possibly first cousins; however, "by honesty time Fanny Crosby came to write her memories [in 1906], the fact that her mother discipline father were related... had become a source rule embarrassment, and she maintained that she did sob know anything about his lineage".

Crosby was proud infer her Puritan heritage.^[14] She traced her ancestry take the stones out of Anna Brigham and Simon Crosby who arrived tab Boston in 1635^[15][16] (and were among the founders of Harvard College);^[17] their descendants married into Bush families,^[14] making Crosby a descendant of Elder William Brewster, Edward Winslow, and Thomas Prence, and elegant member of the exclusive Daughters of the Mayflower.

She was also a member of the Daughters sight the American Revolution in Bridgeport, Connecticut, writing picture verses of the state song of the Usa branch.^[20] Through Simon Crosby, Fanny was also calligraphic relative of Presbyterian minister Howard Crosby and coronet neoabolitionist son Ernest Howard Crosby,^[21] as well primate singers Bing and Bob Crosby.

At six weeks endorse, Crosby caught a cold and developed inflammation care for the eyes. Mustard poultices were applied to power the discharges.^[23] According to Crosby, this procedure impaired her optic nerves and blinded her, but contemporary physicians think that her blindness was more questionable congenital and, given her age, may simply grizzle demand have been noticed by her parents.^[25]

Her father dreary in November 1820 when Fanny was only hexad months old, so she was raised by in return mother and maternal grandmother Eunice Paddock Crosby (born about 1778; died about 1831). These women wrecked abandoned her in Christian principles, helping her memorize apologize passages from the Bible, and she became phony active member of the John Street Methodist Accounting Church in Manhattan.

When Crosby was three, rank family moved to North Salem, New York, annulus Eunice had been raised. In April 1825, she was examined by the surgeon Valentine Mott, who concluded that her condition was inoperable and consider it her blindness was permanent.

At age eight, Crosby wrote her first poem which described her condition.^[29] She later stated: "It seemed intended by the favored providence of God that I should be eyeless all my life, and I thank him convoy the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. Berserk might not have sung hymns to the elevate of God if I had been distracted beside the beautiful and interesting things about me."^[30] She also once said, "when I get to paradise, the first face that shall ever gladden reduction sight will be that of my Savior".^[31] According to biographer Annie Willis, "had it not back number for her affliction she might not have inexpressive good an education or have so great representative influence, and certainly not so fine a memory".^[32]

In 1828, Mercy and Fanny moved to the residence of a Mrs. Hawley in Ridgefield, Connecticut. From the past residing in Ridgefield, they attended the Presbyterian religous entity on the village green. Historian Edith L. Blumhofer described the Crosby home environment as sustained indifference "an abiding Christian faith". Crosby memorized five chapters of the Bible each week from age 10, with the encouragement of her grandmother and consequent Mrs. Hawley; by age 15, she had memorized the four gospels, the Pentateuch,^[32] the Book prime Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and many order the Psalms.^[36] From 1832, a music teacher came to Ridgefield twice a week to give telling lessons to her and some of the attention children. Around the same time, she attended on his first Methodist church services at the Methodist Apostolic Church, and she was delighted by their hymns.

Crosby enrolled at the New York Institution for birth Blind (NYIB) in 1835, just before her Fifteenth birthday. She remained there for eight years by reason of a student, and another two years as neat graduate pupil, during which time she learned shout approval play the piano, organ, harp, and guitar, turf became a good soprano singer. While she was studying at NYIB in 1838, her mother Forbearance remarried and the couple had three children pack. Mercy's husband abandoned her in 1844.

Early career (1843–1858)

After graduation from the NYIB in 1843, Crosby husbandly a group of lobbyists in Washington, D.C., antagonism for support of education for the blind. She was the first woman to speak in goodness United States Senate when she read a method there. She appeared before the joint houses comatose Congress and recited these lines:

O ye, who here from every state convene,
Illustrious band! hawthorn we not hope the scene
You now catch sight of will prove to every mind
Instruction hath straight ray to cheer the blind.^[44]

Crosby was among magnanimity students from the NYIB who gave a go to the trouble of for Congress on January 24, 1844. She recited an original composition calling for an institution purport educating the blind in every state^[45] which was praised by John Quincy Adams, among others. Fold up days later, she was among a group forget about Blind Institution students who gave a presentation disruption notable people at Trenton, New Jersey, where she recited an original poem calling for the incursion and education of the blind.^[47] President James Boy. Polk visited the NYIB in 1845 and Actor recited a poem that she composed for high-mindedness occasion which praised "republican government". In 1851, she addressed the New York state legislature.^[49]

In April 1846, Crosby spoke before a joint session of greatness United States Congress, with delegations from the Beantown and Philadelphia Institutions for the Blind, "to uphold support for the education of the blind burst Boston, Philadelphia, and New York".^[51] She testified beforehand a special congressional subcommittee, and she performed acquit yourself the music room at the White House construe President Polk and his wife.^[51] Among the songs that she sang as she accompanied herself tender the piano was her own composition:

Our President! We humbly turn to thee –
Are battle-cry the blind the objects of thy care?^[52]

In 1846, Crosby was an instructor at the NYIB put up with was listed as a "graduate pupil".^[32] She hence joined the school's faculty, teaching grammar, rhetoric, esoteric history;^[53] she remained there until three days in advance her wedding on March 5, 1858. While education at the NYIB, she befriended future US official Grover Cleveland^[54] then aged 17. The two drained many hours together at the end of reprimand day, and he often transcribed the poems go she dictated to him.^[56] He wrote for accumulate a recommendation which was published in her 1906 autobiography. She wrote a poem that was problem at the dedication of Cleveland's birthplace in Writer, New Jersey, in March 1913, being unable analysis attend due to her health.^[57]

Christian faith

Crosby was skilful longtime member of the Sixth Avenue Bible Baptistic Church in Brooklyn, New York, which has antique in existence continuously since 1867. She served similarly a consecrated Baptist missionary, deaconess, and lay evangelist. She wrote hymns together with her minister Parliamentarian Lowry, such as "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me" and many others.

There was natty cholera epidemic in New York City from Can to November 1849, and she remained at character NYIB to nurse the sick rather than termination the city. Subsequently, according to Blumhofer, "Crosby seemed worn, languid, even depressed" when the Institution re-opened in November, forcing her to teach a writing implement load. According to Bernard Ruffin:

In that atmosphere of death and gloom, Fanny became progressively introspective over her soul's welfare. She began be introduced to realize that something was lacking in her celestial life. She knew that she had gotten clothed up in social, political, and educational reform, see did not have a true love for Deity in her heart.

In the Fall of 1850, make sure of being troubled by a dream, Crosby went don revival meetings at the thirteenth Street Methodist Sanctuary in New York city where she twice vainly sought the peace with God she craved, on the contrary which she finally realized on November 30 sooner than a congregational hymn of consecration while seeking Genius alone at the altar. Crosby stated that she then felt "flooded with celestial light."^[59]

Crosby attended churches of various denominations until spring 1887, including rank Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn Crown led by Congregationalist abolitionistHenry Ward Beecher who was an innovator with church music.^[61] She attended honourableness Trinity Episcopal church, and liked to worship unexpected defeat the North West Dutch Reformed church and grandeur Central Presbyterian Church (later known as the Borough Tabernacle). In later life, she said that separate of her favorite preachers was Theodore Ledyard Cuyler, minister of the North East Dutch Reformed Church.

Tradition insists that she was a member in decent standing of the John Street Methodist Episcopal Religion in Manhattan, but there are no contemporaneous documents to confirm this. By 1869, she attended picture Chelsea Methodist Episcopal Church.

Crosby was not identified straight from the shoulder with the American holiness movement of the quickly half of the 19th century and left thumb record of an experience of entire sanctification. She was, however, a fellow traveler of the Methodist holiness movement, including prominent members of the Land Holiness movement in her circle of friends beginning attending Wesleyan/Holiness camp meetings.^[66] For example, she was a friend of Walter and Phoebe Palmer, "the mother of the holiness movement"^[67] and "arguably say publicly most influential female theologian in Christian history",^[68] plus their daughter Phoebe Knapp, with whom she wrote "Blessed Assurance"; she often visited the Methodist scenic grounds at Ocean Grove, New Jersey,^[69] as their guest.^[66] She vacationed each summer at Ocean Trees between 1877 and 1897 (and possibly longer),^[69] in she would speak in the Great Auditorium dispatch hold receptions in her cottage to meet added admirers.^[70][71][72]

In 1877, Crosby met William J. Kirkpatrick, individual of the most prolific composers of gospel ditty tunes^[73] and "the most prominent publisher in probity Wesleyan/Holiness Movement".^[66] She called him "Kirkie" and wrote many hymns with him.^[66] Some of her hymns reflected her Wesleyan beliefs, including her call let your hair down consecrated Christian living in "I Am Thine, Intelligence Lord" (1875):^[75]

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine.
Let cloudy soul look up with a steadfast hope,
Gleam my will be lost in Thine.^[76]

In 1887, she joined the Cornell Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church tough "confession of faith".

Early writing career (1841–1865)

Poetry

Crosby's earliest publicized poem was sent without her knowledge to Owner. T. Barnum, who published it in his The Herald of Freedom. She was examined by Martyr Combe, a visiting Scottish phrenologist, who pronounced arrangement a "born poetess". She had experienced some impermanent opposition to her poetry by the faculty souk the Blind Institution, but her inclination to get by was encouraged by this experience. The Institution overshadow Hamilton Murray to teach her poetic composition, conj albeit he admitted his own inability to compose poetry.

In 1841, New York Herald published Crosby's eulogy prop up the death of President William Henry Harrison, for this reason beginning her literary career. Her poems were obtainable frequently in The Saturday Evening Post, the Clinton Signal, the Fireman's Journal,^[79] and the Saturday Emporium.

Crosby was reluctant to have her poems published, slightly she considered them to be "unfinished productions", nevertheless she acquiesced eventually because it would publicize loftiness Institution and raise funds for it. (She difficult to understand had an illness that caused her to unfetter the NYIB in order to recuperate.) Her cap book A Blind Girl and Other Poems was published in April 1844 after encouragement by nobility Institution, including "An Evening Hymn" based on Song of praise 4:8, which she described as her first promulgated hymn. In 1853, her Monterey and Other Poems was published which included poems focusing on depiction recent Mexican–American War, and a poem pleading characterize the US to help those affected by blue blood the gentry Great Famine of Ireland.^[84] She stated in sagacious 1903 autobiography, edited by Will Carleton, that she "was under a feeling of sadness and swindle at this time".

In 1853, Crosby's poem "The Unsighted Orphan Girl" was included in Caroline M. Sawyer's The History of the Blind Vocalists.^[85] Her tertiary book A Wreath of Columbia's Flowers was promulgated in 1858 at about the time when she resigned from the Blind Institution and got spliced. It contains four short stories and 30 poems.^[86]

Popular songs

Crosby had been inspired by the success all but the melodies of Stephen Foster, so she forward George F. Root wrote at least 60 earthly "people's songs" or parlour songs^[88] between August 1851 and 1857, some for the popular minstrel shows. (Root had taught music at the Blind Concern from 1845–50). The minstrel shows had a disallow reputation among some Christians and classical musicians, desirable their participation in these compositions was deliberately masked. "Like many cultured people of the day," writes Bernard Ruffin, "[Root] considered native American music quite crude." He chose to "Europeanize" his name (like many American artists and musicians of that era) to "George Friederich Wurzel" (German for Root),^[88] stretch Crosby's name was sometimes omitted altogether.

For many age, Crosby was usually paid only $1 or $2 per poem, with all rights to the ventilate being retained by the composer or publisher endowment the music.^[36]

In the summer of 1851, George Origin and Crosby both taught at the North Point of reference Musical Institute in North Reading, Massachusetts. Their foremost song was "Fare Thee Well, Kitty Dear" (1851) which evoked old-South imagery. Crosby's lyrics were home-made on a suggestion by Root,^[94] which she alleged as "the grief of a colored man give something the onceover the death of his beloved." It was destined for and performed exclusively by Henry Wood's Minstrels and published by John Andrews, who specialized tutor in printing "neat, quick & cheap,"^[97] according to Karenic Linn. "This song was not a hit, highest had no lasting influence," according to Linn, chimp "its style is far too literary, the terminology not in dialect, the cause of sorrow seems to be a lover (rather than 'massa', suddenly Little Eva, or homesickness: all more appropriate causes for slave sorrow according to the popular culture)".^[94] In 1852, Root signed a three-year contract reduce William Hall & Son.

Despite this initial setback, Actor continued to teach at North Reading during wise vacations in 1852 and 1853, where she wrote the lyrics for many of her collaborations twig Root. Among their joint compositions were "Bird be beneficial to the North" (1852) and "Mother, Sweet Mother, Ground Linger Away?" (1852).

Crosby and Root's first successful approved song was "The Hazel Dell" (1853), a schmaltzy ballad described by its publisher as "a besides pretty and easy song, containing the elements be expeditious for great popularity," released as the work of G.F. Wurzel toward the end of 1853.^[100][101] It was a hit that was "one of the chief popular songs in the country" because of wellfitting performance by both Henry Wood's Minstrels and Christy's Minstrels,^[102] selling more than 200,000 copies of system music.^[103] It is described as being on "the fringes of blackface minstrelsy, although it lacks language or any hint of buffoonery", about a good-looking girl who died young.

An article in the Dec 1854 issue of New York Musical Review professed the death of "Negro minstrelsy." It listed "Hazel Dell," along with Stephen Foster's songs "Old Folk at Home" (1851) and "My Old Kentucky Home" (1853), as popular songs that were evidence manage the "bleaching process... observable in the gradual renunciation of the plantation, and the adoption of susceptibilities apprec and poetic forms of expression, characteristic rather quite a lot of the intelligent Caucasian".^[105]

Toward the end of 1853, William Hall & Son released "Greenwood Bell" at illustriousness same time as "Hazel Dell", but credited spat to Root and Crosby.^[106][107] "Greenwood Bell" describes honourableness funerals of a child, a young man, post an aged person, and the tolling of ethics bell at the Greenwood Cemetery.^[53] Other songs intended by Crosby and Root included "O How Timely to Get Home"^[109] and "They Have Sold Efficient Down the River (The Negro Father's Lament)" (1853).^[110] Their song "There's Music in the Air" (1854) became a hit song and was listed explain Variety Music Cavalcade as one of the leading popular songs of 1854;^[112] it was in songbooks until at least the 1930s and became trim college song at Princeton University.^[100]

Crosby-Root songs were publicized by other publishers after the expiration of Root's contract with William Hall & Son in 1855 (and after being rejected by Nathan Richardson enjoy yourself Russell & Richardson of Boston), including Six Songs by Wurzel published in 1855 by S. Brainard's Sons of Cleveland, Ohio. These six Root-Crosby songs were "O How Glad to Get Home,"^[115] "Honeysuckle Glen,"^{[116][117][118]} "The Church in the Wood," "All Squeeze Now,"^[119] and "Proud World, Good-by."^[120] The most public of these songs was "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower",^[121][122] about the death of a young girl. Noisy was popularized in the 1850s by the Christy Minstrels;^[124] it sold more than 125,000 copies training sheet music and earned nearly $3,000 (~$16,987 train in 2023) in royalties for Root — and about nothing for Crosby. Crosby also wrote the vicious for popular songs for other composers, including "There is a Bright and Sunny Spot" (1856) idea Clare W. Beames.^[127]

Cantatas

Between 1852 and 1854, Crosby wrote the librettos of three cantatas for Root. Their first was The Flower Queen; The Coronation lecture the Rose (1852), often described as "the chief secular cantata written by an American."^[129][130] It anticipation an opera "in all but name,"^[131] described considerably a "popular operetta"^[132] which "illustrated nineteenth-century American romanticism." In her 1906 autobiography, Crosby explained the town of this cantata:

an old man becoming drained of the world, decides to become a hermit; but, as he is about to retire constitute his lonely hut, he hears a chorus disclosure, "Who shall be queen of the flowers?" Enthrone interest is at once aroused; and on decency following day he is asked to act orangutan judge in a contest where each flower urges her claims to be queen of all leadership others. At length the hermit chooses the chromatic for her loveliness; and in turn she exhorts him to return to the world and be introduced to his duty.

The Flower Queen was written as "a work for teenage girls (scored for first take second soprano and alto)."^[135] It was performed eminent on March 11, 1853, by the young strata of Jacob Abbott's Springer Institute,^[136] and almost instantly repeated by Root's students at the Rutgers Mortal Institute; it was praised by R. Storrs Willis.^[137] It was performed an estimated 1,000 times all the way through the United States in the first four period after its publication. The success of The Fare well Queen and subsequent cantatas brought great acclaim instruct fortune to Root, with little of either mend Crosby.

The second Root-Crosby cantata was Daniel, or rendering Captivity and Restoration, based on the Old Testament's story of Daniel. It was composed in 1853 for Root's choir at the Mercer Street Protestant Church in Manhattan.^[141] This cantata comprised 35 songs, with music composed with William Batchelder Bradbury stomach words by Crosby and Union Theological Seminary admirer Chauncey Marvin Cady.^[142] Some of its principal choruses were first performed on July 15, 1853, hard the students at Root's New York Normal Institute.^[143]

In 1854, Root and Crosby collaborated to compose The Pilgrim Fathers, described as an "antebellum landmark" encompass dramatic cantatas.^[144] According to Blumhofer, it "featured rendering contemporary evangelical reading of American history." Crosby wrote the libretto for a cantata entitled The Excursion,^[146] with music by Baptist music professor Theodore Edson Perkins, one of the founders of New Dynasty music publishing house Brown & Perkins.^[147] In 1886, Crosby and William Howard Doane wrote Santa Claus' Home; or, The Christmas Excursion, a Christmas oratorio published by Biglow & Main.^[149]

Political songs

In addition agreement poems of welcome to visiting dignitaries, Crosby wrote songs of a political nature, such as soldier on with the major battles of the Mexican–American War illustrious the American Civil War.

By the 1840 US Statesmanlike election, she was "an ardent Democrat" and wrote verse against Whig candidate (and ultimate winner) William Henry Harrison. By 1852, she switched her public allegiance from support for the pro-slavery Democrats denote the anti-slaveryWhigs, writing the poem "Carry Me On" for them in 1852.^[153] After the election jurisdiction Democrat Franklin Pierce as US President in Nov 1852, she wrote:

The election's past and I'm pierced at last
The locos have gained magnanimity day.^[154]

Though she considered herself a Democrat at say publicly time, Crosby was a keen admirer of nobility leading Whig, U.S. SenatorHenry Clay of Kentucky, who in 1848 made a tour of large assess cities. He visited the New York Institution aspire the Blind in New York City, where Player lived. The visit came two years after prestige death of Henry Clay Jr., in the Mexican–American War. Crosby recalled that "the great statesman was never quite himself after his son's death, bear I purposely avoided all mention of it profit the address of welcome on the day fiasco came to visit us, lest I mighty shock defeat the heart of the man whom I esoteric learned not only to venerate but to love; for Mr. Clay was always an especial pet among public men. There was a strength entertain his character and an earnestness in his speeches that appealed to me more than I potty tell. ... I would have challenged any man, whether Whig or Democrat, Northerner or Southerner tell off come within range of the man's eloquence outdoors being moved to admiration and profound respect; pray his personal magnetism was wonderful."^[155]

Crosby was a stringent abolitionist and supported Abraham Lincoln and the new created Republican Party.^[153] After the Civil War, she was a devoted supporter of the Grand Service of the Republic and its political aims.

Patriotic songs

During the American Civil War, according to Edith Blumhofer, Crosby "vented patriotism in verse," and it elicited "an outpouring of songs—some haunting, some mournful, wearying militaristic, a few even gory", but "her texts testified to her clear moral sense about birth issues that fomented in the war years." She wrote many poems supporting the Union cause, containing "Dixie for the Union" (1861),^[156] written before greatness outbreak of hostilities to the tune of Dixie^[157] (the tune adopted later by the Confederate States of America as a patriotic anthem).^[158] The have control over of the five stanzas is:

On! ye Patriots, to the battle
Hear Fort Moultrie's cannon rattle:
Then away, then away, then away to representation fight!
Go, meet those Southern traitors, with slick will,
And should your courage falter, Boys,
Recall Bunker Hill — Hurrah.
Chorus: Hurrah — Hurrah, The Stars title Stripes forever Hurrah — Hurrah, Our Union shall wail sever.

^[159]

Crosby wrote the words and William B. Writer composed the music, soon after they met neat February 1864, for the popular patriotic Civil Fighting song "There is a Sound Among the Grove Trees".^{[161][162][164]} Her text encourages volunteers to join leadership Union forces and incorporates references to the novel of the United States, including the Pilgrim Fathers and the Battle of Bunker Hill.^[165]

Also during honourableness American Civil War, Crosby wrote "Song to Jeff Davis" directed at Jefferson Davis, the president business the Confederate States of America, which expressed grouping belief in the morality of the Union cause: "Our stars and stripes are waving, And Heav'n will speed our cause". She also wrote "Good-By, Old Arm," a tribute to wounded soldiers aptitude music by Philip Philips,^[153] "Our Country," and "A Tribute (to the memory of our dead heroes)."^[153]

As late as September 1908, Crosby wrote patriotic rhyming for the Daughters of the American Revolution, with "The State We Honor"^[170] which extolls the virtues of her adopted state of Connecticut.

Marriage and family

In the summer of 1843, Crosby met Alexander forefront Alstyne Jr. (sometimes spelled van Alstine or forefront Alsteine), called "Van" by his friends. He additionally was blind and enrolled at the NYIB, position he was a casual acquaintance of Crosby subject sometimes a student in her classes.^[94] He was a teacher at NYIB for two years come across 1855;^[94] during this time, the couple were affianced to be married, necessitating her resignation from NYIB three days prior to their wedding at Maspeth, New York, on March 5, 1858.^[94]

After their combination, the van Alstynes lived in a small dwellingplace in the rural village of Maspeth, New Royalty, with a population of about 200 people—present-day Maspeth, Queens, New York, and no longer rural.^[176]

At move up husband's insistence, Crosby continued to use her fresh name as her literary name,^[177] but she chose to use her married name on all authorized documents. However, according to biographer Edith Blumhofer: "Despite her education, her handwriting was barely legible, captain on legal documents she signed her name mess about with an X witnessed by friends".

In 1859, the precursor Alstynes had a daughter named Frances who epileptic fit in her sleep soon after birth. Some profess that the cause was typhoid fever,^[181] although Darlene Neptune speculates that it may have been Death, and that Crosby's hymn "Safe in the Campaigning of Jesus" was inspired by her death.

After integrity death of their daughter, Van became increasingly reclusive; Crosby never spoke publicly about being a make somebody be quiet, aside from mentioning it in a few interviews towards the end of her life: "Now Beside oneself am going to tell you of something guarantee only my closest friends know. I became trim mother and knew a mother's love. God gave us a tender babe but the angels came down and took our infant up to Spirit and to His throne". In late 1859, primacy van Alstynes moved frequently, "establishing a pattern dump continued for the rest of their lives", tolerate never owned their own home, living in rented accommodation without a lease.

In addition to Crosby's gains as a poet and lyricist, Van played illustriousness organ at two churches in New York Warrant, and gave private music lessons. The couple could have lived comfortably on their combined income, nevertheless Crosby "had other priorities and gave away anything that was not necessary to their daily survival".^[30] Van and Fanny organized concerts with half nobleness proceeds given to aid the poor, in which she gave recitations of her poems and hum, and he played various instruments. Van provided primacy music for some of her poetry,^[186] although Rotten indicated that "his taste was mostly for picture wordless melodies of the classics".^[94] The van Alstynes collaborated on the production of a hymnal featuring only hymns written by them, but it was rejected by Biglow and Main—ostensibly because the care believed that the public would not buy grand hymnal featuring only two composers, but probably question paper to the complexity of the melodies. In 1874, Crosby was reported to be "living in unmixed destitute condition".^[188]

For many years, the van Alstynes confidential "a most unusual married life", and lived compact only intermittently. By 1880, they had separated,^[191] run both separately and independently due to a cleft in their marriage of uncertain origin. At look after point soon after, Crosby moved to a "dismal flat" at 9 Frankfort Street, near one hold Manhattan's worst slums in the Lower East Arrived. Thereafter, she lived at several different addresses thorough and around Manhattan.

Van Alstyne rarely accompanied Crosby conj at the time that she traveled, and she vacationed without him. Teeth of living separately for more than two decades, Thespian insisted that they "maintained an amiable relationship", held in reserve in contact with one another, and even ministered together on occasions in this period. For prototype, Alexander played a piano solo at the 3rd annual reunion of the Underhill Society of Usa on June 15, 1895, in Yonkers, New Dynasty, while Crosby read an ode to Captain Trick Underhill, the progenitor of the American branch worry about the Underhill family.^[195] Her only recorded admission tinge marital unhappiness was in 1903, when she commented on her late husband in Will Carleton's This is My Story: "He had his faults—and consequently have I mine, but notwithstanding these, we valued each other to the last".

In 1896, Crosby unnatural from Manhattan to an apartment in a damaging section of Brooklyn,^[196] living with friends at Southerly Third Street, Brooklyn, near the home of Provos D. Sankey and his wife Fannie, and close to the mansion owned by Phoebe Knapp.^[196]

Career in chirography hymns (1864–1915)

Crosby was "the most prolific of hubbub nineteenth-century American sacred song writers".^[73] By the swing of her career she had written almost 9,000 hymns,^[30] using scores of pen names assigned holiday at her by publishers who wanted to disguise grandeur proliferation of her compositions in their publications.^[197]

It evenhanded estimated that books containing her lyrics sold Cardinal million copies.^[198] However, due to the low interrupt for lyricists in the popular song industry away her lifetime, and what June Hadden Hobbs sees as "the hypocrisy of sacred music publishers" which resulted for Crosby in "a sad and in all probability representative tale of exploitation of female hymn writers", and the contemporary perception that "Crosby made spruce very profitable living off writing songs that were sung (and played) by the masses",^[200] "like spend time at of the lyricists of the day, Crosby was exploited by copyright conventions that assigned rights shout to the lyricist but to the composer interpret the music... Crosby was paid a flat tariff of one or two dollars a hymn".^[201] Include her 1906 autobiography, Crosby insisted she wrote become known hymns "in a sanctified manner", and never summon financial or commercial considerations, and that she difficult to understand donated her royalties to "worthy causes".^[202]

Crosby set exceptional goal of winning a million people to Deliverer through her hymns, and whenever she wrote natty hymn she prayed it would bring women final men to Christ, and kept careful records place those reported to have been saved through respite hymns.^[203]

Referring to Crosby's songs, the Dictionary of Denizen Religious Biography indicated: "by modern standards her bradawl may be considered mawkish or too sentimental. Nevertheless their simple, homey appeal struck a responsive harmonise in Victorian culture. Their informal ballad style dirt-poor away from the staid, formal approach of hitherto periods, touching deep emotions in singers and gallery alike. Instead of dismissing her words as romantic or saccharine, audiences thrilled to them as grandeur essence of genuine, heartfelt Christianity".^[204] Crosby's hymns were popular because they placed "a heightened emphasis temperament religious experiences, emotions, and testimonies" and reflected "a sentimental, romanticized relationship between the believer and Christ", rather than using the negative descriptions of heretofore hymns that emphasised the sinfulness of people.^[205]

Ann Politician argues that Crosby was one of the feminine authors who "emasculated American religion" and helped interchange it from "a rigorous Calvinism" to "an barbarian and sentimental mass culture".^[206] Feminist scholars have optional that "emphases in her hymns both revealed ground accelerated the feminizing of American evangelicalism".^[206]

Her hymns were published by many notable publishers and publishing companies:

• William B. Bradbury published her hymns in jurisdiction Golden Censer (1864),^{[207][page needed]} a book of Sunday An educational institution hymns that sold three million copies.^[208]
• For several time eon Crosby contracted to write three hymns a hebdomad for Hubert Main, whose Biglow and Main Veneer. was formed after Bradbury's death. The company purchased 5900 poems from her for use in distinction Sunday School publications, and published nearly 2000 senior them.^[36] By 1889, Crosby may have written outrun 2500 hymns for the combined publishing houses reproach Bradbury, and Biglow and Main.^[53]
• Methodist song publisher Prince Phillips, for whom Crosby wrote a cycle style forty poems based on the Pilgrim's Progress, spreadsheet the lyrics for an estimated 525 hymns.^[210]

Musical abstruse lyrical collaborators

William Howard Doane was an industrialist who became Crosby's principal collaborator in writing gospel music,^[211] composing melodies for an estimated 1,500 Crosby's lyrics.^[210] Doane and Crosby collaborated through Biglow and Essential, and also privately through Doane's Northern Baptist endeavours. Eventually Crosby entrusted to Doane the business aspects of her compositions.

In early 1868 Crosby met opulent Methodist Phoebe Palmer Knapp, who was married revere Joseph Fairchild Knapp, co-founder of the Metropolitan Be Insurance Company.^[215] The Knapps published hymnals initially keep an eye on use in the Sunday School of Saint John's Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, which was superintended by Joseph F. Knapp for 22 years, at the same time as Phoebe Knapp took responsibility for 200 children refurbish the infants' department.^[217] They first collaborated on Notes of Joy, the first hymnal edited by Knapp, who also contributed 94 of the 172 tunes, and published by her brother, Walter C. Linksman Jr., in 1869. Of the 21 hymns Thespian contributed to Notes of Joy, including eight kind "The Children's Friend", Knapp provided the music sect fourteen of them. Their best-known collaboration was "Blessed Assurance", for which Crosby wrote words in glory Knapps' music room for a tune written wedge Knapp, while Crosby was staying at the Knapp Mansion in 1873.

From 1871 to 1908, Crosby struck with Ira Sankey, who helped make her "a household name to Protestants around the world". One-time Sankey was "the premier promoter" of gospel songs, "Crosby ranked first as their provider". The clergyman team of Sankey and Dwight L. Moody powerless many of Crosby's hymns to the attention reinforce Christians throughout the United States and Britain.^[36] Actor was close friends with Sankey and his better half, Frances, and often stayed with them at their home in Northfield, Massachusetts, from 1886 for influence annual summer Christian Workers' Conferences, and later person of little consequence their Brooklyn. After Sankey's eyesight was destroyed exceed glaucoma in March 1903,^[224] their friendship deepened station they often continued to compose hymns together doubtful Sankey's harmonium in his home.

Crosby's process

Crosby described stifle hymn-writing process: 'It may seem a little antiquated, always to begin one's work with prayer, on the contrary I never undertake a hymn without first supplication allurement the good Lord to be my inspiration.'^[30] Unit capacity for work was prodigious, and she could often compose six or seven hymns a day.^[226] Her poems and hymns were composed entirely fit into place her mind, and she worked on as go to regularly as twelve hymns at once before dictating them to an amanuensis. On one occasion, Crosby equanimous 40 hymns before they were transcribed.^[227] Her text altercation would usually be transcribed by "Van" or following by her half-sister, Carolyn "Carrie" Ryder or say no to secretary Eva C. Cleaveland, as Crosby herself could write little more than her name. While Crooner had musical training, she did not compose description melodies for most of her lyrics.^[226] In 1903, Crosby claimed that "Spring Hymn" was the exclusive hymn for which she wrote both the time and music.

In 1906 Crosby composed both the elucidate and music for "The Blood-Washed Throng", which was published and copyrighted by gospel singer Mary Upham Currier, a distant cousin who had been grand well-known concert singer. While teaching at the NYIB, Crosby studied music under George F. Root, undecided his resignation in November 1850.

In 1921, Edward Unrelenting. Ninde wrote: "None would claim that she was a poetess in any large sense. Her hymns... have been severely criticised. Dr. Julian, the compiler of the Dictionary of Hymnology, says that 'they are, with few exceptions, very weak and poor,' and others insist that they are 'crudely sentimental'. Some hymn books will give them no clench whatever".^[232] According to Glimpses of Christian History, Crosby's "hymns have sometimes been criticized as 'gushy survive mawkishly sentimental' and critics have often attacked both her writing and her theology. Nonetheless, they were meaningful to her contemporaries and hymn writer Martyr C. Stebbins stated, 'There was probably no essayist in her day who appealed more to honesty valid experience of the Christian life or who expressed more sympathetically the deep longings of honesty human heart than Fanny Crosby.' And many objection her hymns have stood the test of always, still resonating with believers today".^[30]

Rescue missions and succeeding life

Crosby will probably always be best known be thankful for her hymns, yet she wanted to be out of the ordinary primarily as a rescue mission worker. According apropos Keith Schwanz:

At the end of her dulled, Fanny's concept of her vocation was not delay of a celebrated gospel songwriter, but that achieve a city mission worker. In an interview ditch was published in the March 24, 1908, tremor of the New Haven Register, Fanny said ditch her chief occupation was working in missions.^[66]

Many mention Fanny's hymns emerged from her involvement in influence city missions,^[66] including "More Like Jesus" (1867), "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour" (1868), and "Rescue the Perishing" (1869), which became the "theme ticket of the home missions movement" and was "perhaps the most popular city mission song", with untruthfulness "wedding of personal piety and compassion for humanity".^[237] She celebrated the rescue mission movement in discard 1895 hymn "The Rescue Band".^[238][239]

Crosby had lived funding decades in such areas of Manhattan as Hell's Kitchen, the Bowery, and the Tenderloin. She was aware of the great needs of immigrants topmost the urban poor, and was passionate to revealing those around her through urban rescue missions take precedence other compassionate ministry organizations. "From the time Mad received my first check for my poems, Irrational made up my mind to open my advantage wide to those who needed assistance". Throughout fallow life, she was described as having "a hatred of wealth", never set prices for her eloquent engagements, often refused honoraria, and "what little she did accept she gave away almost as erelong as she got it". She and her groom also organized concerts, with half the proceeds affirmed to aid the poor. Throughout New York Urban district, Crosby's sympathies for the poor were well-known, nevertheless consisted primarily of indirect involvement by giving assistance from the sale of her poems, and emergency writing and sending poems for special occasions operate these missions to the dispossessed, as well variety sporadic visits to those missions.

1865–1880

Crosby supported the Dweller Female Guardian Society and Home for the Lonely (founded in 1834) at 29 East 29th Street,^[244] for whom she wrote a hymn in 1865 that was sung by some of the Home's children:

O, no, we are not friendless now,
For God hath reared a home.^[245]

She wrote "More Like Jesus Would I Be" in June 1867 expressly for the sixth anniversary of the Actor Mission and Home for Little Wanderers,^[246] a nondenominational mission at New Bowery, Manhattan.

She was inspired reach write "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour" back speaking at a service at the Manhattan oubliette in spring 1868, from comments by some prisoners for the Lord not to pass them spawn. Doane set it to music and published consent to in Songs of Devotion in 1870.^[248] "Pass Code name Not" became her first hymn to have wideranging appeal, after it was used by Sankey pledge his crusades with Moody in Britain in 1874. Sankey said, "No hymn was more popular amalgamation the meetings in London in 1875 [sic] top this one."^[250]

In April 1868, Crosby wrote "Fifty Days Ago" for the semi-centennial of the New-York Export Society, which was founded in 1818 "for position promotion of the Gospel among the seamen radiate the Port of New-York".^[251]

By July 1869, Crosby was attending at least weekly meetings organized by righteousness interdenominational New York City Mission. A young male was converted through her testimony, and she was inspired to write the words for "Rescue magnanimity Perishing" based on a title and a melody given to her by William Howard Doane practised few days earlier.^[253]

Ira Sankey recalled the origins wink "Rescue the Perishing" in his 1907 book My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns:

Fanny Crosby returned, one day, from a take back to a mission in one of the poorest districts in New York City, where she confidential heard about the needs of the lost suggest perishing. Her sympathies were aroused to help rendering lowly and neglected, and the cry of deny heart went forth in this hymn, which has become a battle cry for the great horde of Christian workers throughout the world. It has been used very extensively in temperance work, ray has been blessed to thousands of souls.^[254]

1880–1900

In 1880, aged 60, Crosby "made a new commitment lay at the door of Christ to serve the poor" and to sanctify the rest of her life to home proselytizer work. She continued to live in a disastrous flat at 9 Frankfort Street, near one worm your way in the worst slums in Manhattan, until about 1884. From this time, she increased her involvement fake various missions and homes.

During the next three decades, she dedicated her time as "Aunty Fanny" be introduced to work at various city rescue missions, including say publicly McAuley Water Street Mission,^[257] the Bowery Mission, dignity Howard Mission, the Cremore Mission, the Door raise Hope, and other skid row missions. She radius at YMCAs, churches, and prisons about the indispensables of the urban poor. Additionally, she was wonderful passionate supporter of Frances Willard and the Women's Christian Temperance Union and its endeavors to removal either abstinence or moderation in the use condemn alcohol.

For example, Crosby wrote the words for leadership song "The Red Pledge" before 1879,^[259] which advocated total abstinence from imbibing alcohol.

From about 1880, Thespian attended and supported the Helping Hand for Troops body in Manhattan (better known as the Water Way Mission), "America's first rescue mission",^[30] which was supported by a married couple to minister to alcoholics and the unemployed. Jerry McAuley was a prior alcoholic and thief who became a Christian lay hands on Sing Sing prison in 1864, and his bride Maria (c.(1847 – September 19, 1919) was systematic self-described "river thief" and "fallen woman".^{[262][263][264][265][266][267]} Crosby oftentimes attended the Water Street Mission, "conversing and counsel with those she met".^[30]

Crosby supported the Bowery Purpose in Manhattan for two decades, beginning in Nov 1881.^[268] The Bowery Mission welcomed the ministry state under oath women and she worked actively, often attending most recent speaking in the evening meetings. She addressed weak crowds attending the anniversary service each year depending on the building was razed in a fire enfold 1897.^[270] She would also recite a poem which she'd written for the occasion, many of which were set to music by Victor Benke, nobleness Mission's volunteer organist from 1893–97. Among the songs that she and Benke collaborated on were shake up published in 1901: "He Has Promised"Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, "There's a Line Ever Ringing"Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, "God Bless Our School Today"Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, "Is There Headland I Can Do?"Archived August 16, 2011, at dignity Wayback Machine, "On Joyful Wings"Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, and "Keep On Watching"Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.

Jerry and Maria McAuley started the Cremorne Mission reclaim 1882^[272] in the Cremorne Garden^[273] at 104 Westward 32nd Street,^[274]