William Chatterton Dix (14 June 1837 – 9 September 1898) was an English writer of hymns and carols. He was born in Bristol, the son of John Dix, a local surgeon, who wrote The Life of Chatterton the poet, a book of Pen Pictures of Popular English Preachers and other works.[1] His father gave him his middle name in honour of Thomas Chatterton, a poet about whom he had written a biography.[2] He was educated at the Grammar School, Bristol, for a mercantile career, and became manager of a maritime insurance company in Glasgow where he spent most of his life.[3]
William Chatterton Dix | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 14 June 1837 Bristol, England |
| Died | 9 September 1898 (aged 61) Cheddar, Somerset, England |
His original hymns are found in most modern hymn-books.[1] He wrote also felicitous renderings in metrical form of Richard Frederick Littledale's translations from the Greek in his Offices of the Holy Eastern Church; and of John Medows Rodwell's translations of Abyssinian hymns.[3] Some of his carols, such as The Manger Throne, have been very popular.[3] His hymns and carols also include As with Gladness Men of Old, What Child Is This?, To You, O Lord, Our Hearts We Raise and Alleluia! Sing to Jesus.
At the age of 29 he was struck with a near fatal illness and consequently suffered months confined to his bed. During this time he became severely depressed. Yet it is from this period that many of his hymns date.[4][5] He died at Cheddar, Somerset, England, and was buried at his parish church.[citation needed]
His children included the novelist and writer Gertrude Dix.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b James Moffatt, Handbook to the Church Hymnary, Oxford University Press, 1927
- ^ Albert Edward Bailey, The Gospel in Hymns, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1950, p. 359
- ^ a b c James Moffatt, Handbook to the Church Hymnary, Oxford University Press, 1927, p. 318
- ^ Robert Guy McCutchan (1937) Our hymnody, a manual of the Methodist hymnal
- ^ John Telford (1934) The new Methodist hymn-book illustrated in history and experience
- ^ Bassett, Troy (15 December 2022). "Author: Gertrude Dix". At the Circulating Library: A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
External links edit
- Works by or about William Chatterton Dix at Internet Archive
- Works by William Chatterton Dix at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Giles, Gordon (27 May 2010). "Dix, William Chatterton (1837–1898)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/97110. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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