Jonathan Edwards Spilman (15 April 1812 – 23 May 1896) was a
Kentucky lawyer, minister, and composer.
Jonathan Spilman was born in
Greenville, Kentucky
Greenville is a home rule-class city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 4,312 at the 2010 census.
History
The town was settled in 1799 on an estate donated by local landowner ...
to Benjamin Spilman and Nancy (Rice) Spilman, and graduated from
Illinois College in 1835. While at
Transylvania Law School, 1837, he wrote the music for
Robert Burns' "
Flow gently, sweet Afton", the best remembered of his seven melodies. An adaptation of this music was used for "
We Hail Thee Carolina
"We Hail Thee Carolina" is the alma mater of the University of South Carolina. It was adopted by the university in 1912 and is sung by alumni and students at Gamecock athletic events. The alma mater is also used to conclude each football game, ...
", the alma mater of the
University of South Carolina.
He was married to Mary V.J. Menefee, who died prematurely in 1843. Two years later, on 10 April 1845, he married Eliza Sarah Taylor (1822–1866), a niece of
U.S. President Zachary Taylor. To them were born ten children, of whom six survived: Charles, Louise, William,
Byrd Byrd commonly refers to:
* William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance
* Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer
Byrd or Byrds may also refer to:
Other people
* Byrd (surname), includin ...
, Clara, and Lewis. His wife Eliza died on 10 August 1866, as the result of a fire aboard the steamboat "Bostona No. 3" in
Maysville, Kentucky.
Working as a lawyer for 18 years, he became a
Presbyterian minister at the age of 46. A Historical Marker was erected in the city of Greenville in his memory.
References
Bibliography
*Hoover, Earl Reese: ''J.E. Spilman — Kentucky's long-lost composer of a world-famous melody rediscovered''.
Kentucky State Historical Society
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) was originally established in 1836 as a private organization. It is an agency of the Kentucky state government that records and preserves important historical documents, buildings, and artifacts of Kentucky's ...
, 1968.
External links
*
The Seven Melodies of Jonathan Edwards Spilman*
*
1812 births
1896 deaths
American male composers
People from Greenville, Kentucky
Zachary Taylor family
Musicians from Kentucky
19th-century American composers
19th-century American male musicians
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