Dorothy Frances Blomfield (1858–1932) was an English hymn-writer and poet. Known as Dora, she was the daughter of Frederick George Blomfield, Rector of

St Andrew Undershaft St Andrew Undershaft is a Church of England church in the City of London, the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is located on St Mary Axe, within the Aldgate ward, and is a rare example of a City church that survived both ...

in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. She was a granddaughter of Charles James Blomfield, who was

Bishop of London A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

from 1828 to 1856; niece to the architect

Sir Arthur Blomfield Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...

and

Alfred Blomfield The Right Reverend Alfred Blomfield D.D. (31 August 18335 November 1894) was an Anglican bishop in the last decades of the 19th century. Alfred was the youngest son of Charles James Blomfield, Bishop of London, and brother of architect Arth ...

, Bishop of Colchester from 1882 to 1894; and cousin of the geologist

Francis Arthur Bather Francis Arthur Bather FRS (17 February 1863, in Richmond upon Thames – 20 March 1934) was a British palaeontologist, geologist and malacologist. His mother, Lucy Elizabeth Blomfield, was a daughter of Charles Blomfield, Bishop of London. His ...

. "A shy, devout girl with an inner passion for nature and began writing short poems at an early age." She married the actor Gerald Gurney in 1897; he was the son of

Archer Thompson Gurney Archer Thompson Gurney (1820–1887) was a Church of England clergyman and hymnodist. Life Archer Gurney was born at Tregony in Cornwall on 15 July 1820. His father, Richard Gurney, was vice-warden of the stannaries of Devon. Archer Thompson Gu ...

(1820–1887), a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

clergyman and hymnodist. In 1904 her husband was ordained a priest of the Church of England. In 1919 Dorothy and her husband joined the Roman Catholic Church. Her ''Poems'' (London: Country Life, 1913) include "In God's Garden", "Moon Spell (or Dolly)" in 1882; "Shearing Day", "To the Immortals" and "Waggon Bells" in 1883; " Grandpapa's Wooing" in 1885; "Daffodil Time" in 1886; "Love's Service" in 1888; "When the gorse is all in blossom" in 1889; "Down here the lilacs fade" in 1893; and "North Country Songs" with Strang and Hadley in 1894. With reference to the words of the hymn " O Perfect Love", written in 1883 for the wedding of her sister in the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...

she quoted her sister as saying "What is the use of a sister who composes poetry if she cannot write new words to a favourite tune? I would like to use the tune at my wedding." Dora picked up a hymn book and said "If no-one will disturb me I will go in to the library and see what I can do".https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/dorothy-gurney-wrote-a-wedding-poem-11630511.html/

References

1858 births 1932 deaths 19th-century British women writers 20th-century British women writers Blomfield family British women hymnwriters Church of England hymnwriters Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism English women poets English Roman Catholic hymnwriters People from the City of London {{UK-writer-stub