Elizabeth Scott (hymnwriter)
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Elizabeth Scott Williams Smith (, Scott; after first marriage, Williams; after second marriage, Smith; 1708 – June 13, 1776) was an 18th-century British-born American poet and
hymnwriter A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of ...
. Prior to 1750, she wrote many hymns with the largest of her known manuscript collections containing 90 of these. The first publication of her hymns was in ''The Christian's Magazine'', edited by William Dodd, 1763. Nineteen of her hymns were given in John Ash and Caleb Evans' baptist ''Collection'',
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, 1769, and twenty in John Dobell's ''New Selection'', 1806. Of these, one of the best known is "All hail, Incarnate God". Smith died in 1776.


Early life

Elizabeth Scott was born at
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, England, probably in 1708. Her father was Thomas Scott (1680-1746), an independent, dissenting minister of that city. A brother
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
, was likewise a hymnwriter, while another brother, Joseph Nicol Scott, was a physician, dissenting minister and writer. Her father's brother, Daniel Scott, was a
lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries. * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoretica ...
. Her father wrote of her (1 March 1740) as 'one who devotes herself to doing good, as a Protestant nun.' Her letter to Doddridge, 10 May 1745, shows that she was suffering from religious depression, not unconnected with family troubles (Humphreys, Correspondence of
Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London the last of the twenty children of ...
, iii. 424, iv. 408 sq.).


Career

She began writing
hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
at her father's suggestion. They were not published until 1740 at least, and perhaps not until much later. Some were in Dr. Dodd's ''Christian Magazine'', 1763. In Dr. Dodd's ''Christian Magazine'' for 1764, there are a few hymns by her. "All hail, incarnate God! ", No. 412, is listed as hymn No. 386 in ''Dobell's Collection'', of 1806, where it has the name "Scott." The second verse beginning—"To Thee the hoary head," has this note—" Composed on seeing an Aged Saint and a Youth taken into Church communion together." Twenty-one were in ''Ash and Evans's Collection'', 1769; and eight of these, with twelve new ones, in ''Dobell's Selection'', 1806. In a manuscript in the library of Yale College, Franklin Bowditch Dexter tabulated the hymns. He said (January 29, 1889):— "The label on the back of this volume is ''Hymns & Poems by Eliz. Scott''. There is no title to the manuscript pages. Prefixed to the ''Hymns and Poems'' there is, however, a long and very tenderly written dedication (in prose) 'To my much Rever'd, much Lov'd, Father', this signed 'E. S.' and dated 1740. Then follows (without numbers) the Hymns with titles and first lines. Dexter added the first lines and the titles of 90 hymns. In a second manuscript headed "Poems on Several Occasions by Miss Scott of Norwich, who married to Mr. Williams of New England, January 1750/1." there follow 26 hymns in full. At the end, this is written, "These transcribed from Maj. Williams' Manuscript, Feb. 27, 1751, the week before she left Norwich to go to New England." The whole of these 26 hymns are in Yale College. A third manuscript contains eight hymns which are prefaced with these words,— "Copied from a book of Mrs. Bury's, written by her Aunt Miss Elizabeth Scott, afterwards Mrs. Williamson." Of these hymns, six are in the Yale College and 2 not therein, viz.:—(1) "Arise and hail the happy acredday" (p. 78, 1.). and "Hail, King supreme, all wise and good", both of which are given anonymously in the Unitarian Acu» CW. of Ps. for the Vie of a Cong, of Protatant Dissenters in Liverpool, commonly known as The Liverpool Liturgy, pub. in 1763. Concerning the authorship of these two hymns there is great doubt. In Dr. Dodd's ''Christian's Magazine'' for December 1763, a writer signs himself "CL—T." He had at that time a manuscript of Scott's hymns with a Dedication to her father prefixed thereto and signed "Eliz Sc—tt." From this manuscript, he sent "Why droops my soul with guilt oppressed" (Christ, the Great Physician) to the December number of the magazine; "Evil and few our mortal days" (Vanity of human Life), to the February number, 1764, and "What finite power with ceaseless toil ("Praise for Temporal Blessings"), to the April number of the same year. At the close of the last hymn, he said in a note—"N.B. "As some of your Correspondents have sent you some pieces out of the same collection, from which these are transcribed, that I have undertaken to send you (e.g. that on Gen. xvii. l) it were to be wished, if they should do the like again, that they would signify whose they are." The hymn referred to in this note was, "Great God, Thy penetrating eye" (God pervading all things), which appeared in the January number of the ''Christian Magazine'', 1784, without signature or acknowledgement of any kind. All these hymns are in the Yale College manuscript. From these facts, it is clear that before departing for the United States, Scott allowed copies of her hymns to be made from her manuscripts, and it was mainly from these copies that those of her hymns composed before her marriage were printed in the English
hymnbook A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chri ...
s. None of those hymns date later than 1750. The collections in which they appeared, and through which they came into collections were the Bristol Baptist College of Ash and Evans, 1769, and the ''New Selections'', by J. Dobb, 1806. In Ash and Evans there are 19 hymns, signed "S.," all of which are in the Yale College manuscript. under the same first lines except "Was it for man, apostate man'/" but this also may possibly be there under another first line. In ''Dobell'', there are 20 hymns signed "Scott", of which 17 are in the Yale College manuscript, two are parts of hymns from Ash and Evans-, also in that manuscript are and "Sole Sovereign of the earth and skies," also probably in the manuscript under another first line. Of the 90 hymns in the Yale manuscript, in addition to those annotated elsewhere in Julian's ''Dictionary of Hymnology'', there are also in collections:— i. From ''Ash and Evans's Collection of Hymns'', 1769. * God of my life, to Thee belongs. On Recovery from Sickness. * My God, shall I for ever mourn? Covenant-keeping God. From this "Shall e'er the shadow of a change?" is taken (st. iii.). * When Abram full of sacred awe. For a Fast Day. Sometimes, "Thus Abram, full of sacred awe." * Why, O my heart, these anxious cares? Submis-sion. ii. From J. Dobell's ''New Selection, &c'', 1806. * Dare we indulge to wrath and strife? Against Wrath. * Eternal Spirit, 'twas Thy breath. Whitsuntide. * For ever shall my fainting soul. Against grieving the Holy Spirit. Sometimes "0 Lord, and shall our fainting souls?" * Great God, Thy penetrating eye. God All and in All. * The glitt'ring spangles of the sky. The Mercies of God. * Thy bounties, gracious Lord. Offertory. * Where'er the Lord shall build my house. Family Religion.


Personal life

Scott refused marriage to but retained the friendship of Doddridge, who made her acquainted with Colonel
Elisha Williams Elisha Williams (August 26, 1694 – July 24, 1755) was a Congregational minister, legislator, militia soldier, jurist, and rector of Yale College from 1726 to 1739. Life The son of Rev. William Williams and his wife Elizabeth, née Cotton ...
(1694–1755), an American Congregational minister, who was, from 1726 to 1739,
Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of
Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
. She married him in 1751 in Norwich, emigrated with him to
Wethersfield, Connecticut Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Its population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census. Many records from colonial times spell the name ...
in March 1772, and survived him after his death, three years later. On May 12, 1761, she married the Hon. William Smith, a prominent
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
jurist, whom she also survived. In 1769, when she was for the second time a widow, she returned to Wethersfield, residing at the home of Ezekiel Williams (1729-1818), Elisha's nephew. She died in Wethersfield, on June 13, 1776, and was buried at Village Cemetery, of that city. Her entire poetical manuscripts are in the library of Yale College.


Selected works

* ''Hymns & Poems By : Eliz Scott''


Notes


References


Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Elizabeth 1708 births 1776 deaths 18th-century English writers 18th-century English women 18th-century English people 18th-century British women writers English nonconformist hymnwriters Women hymnwriters Writers from Norwich People from Wethersfield, Connecticut American Protestant hymnwriters