Waring, Anna Laetitia, daughter of Elijah Waring, and niece of Samuel Miller Waring, was born at Neith, Glamorganshire, in 1820. In 1850 she published her Hymns and Meditations, by A. L. W., a small book of 19 hymns. The 4th edition was published in 1854. The 10th edition, 1863, is enlarged to 38 hymns. She also published Additional Hymns, 1858, and contributed some pieces to the Sunday Magazine, 1871. Her most widely known hymns are: "Father, I know that all my life," "Go not far from me, O my Strength," and "My heart is resting, O my God." The rest in current use include:--
These hymns are marked by great simplicity, concentration of thought, and elegance of diction. They are popular, and deserve to be so.
From: Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892
Of her hymns we have found the following in Lovell Squire's Sel. of Scriptural Poetry, 3rd. ed., 1848:
The statement in J. Telford's The Methodist Hymn Book Illustrated, 1906, p. 271, that Miss Waring contributed to her uncles's Sacred Melodies, 1826, cannot be correct, as she was then only six years old.
From: Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1907
Anna L. Waring. [Resignation.] 1st. pub. in her Hymns and Meditations, 1850, No. 1, in 8 st. of 6 l., and headed, "My times are in Thy hand." (Enlarged ed. 1863-1871.) One of the first, if not the first hymn-book to bring it into C. U. was the Leeds H. Bk., 1853, No. 892. Since then it has passed into numerous collections in G. Britain and America. Although faulty, and awkward in rhythm, it has attained to a considerable circulation, its deep devotional spirit and intense personality being very attractive to many. Although best adapted for private reading, it is suitable, under special circumstances, for congregational use. in the American Unitarian Hy. [& Tune] Bk. for the Church and the Home, Boston, 1868, No. 224, st. 5,7,8 are given in an altered form as:--"I ask Thee for the daily strength:" st. 1-4 being given as No. 223.
From: Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892
Anna L. Waring. [Resignation.] Appeared in her Hymns and Meditations, 4th ed., 1854, in 14 st. of 6 l., and based upon Psalm 42:7,8 (10th ed. 1871, No. 26). Various centos, mostly beginning with st. 1, are in C. U. in G. Britain and America. The opening line in Martineau's Hymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873, is "Go not far from me, O my God." In Kennedy, 1863, No. 294, the cento begins with st. 7, "How blessed are the eyes that see."
From: Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892, 1907
Anna L. Waring. [The Lord the Portion of his people.] Appeared in the 4th ed. of her Hymns and Meditations, 1854, p. 65., in 11 st. of 8 l., and based upon Lam. 3:24, "The Lord is my Portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him" (ed. 1871, p. 62). It is also in her Additional Hymns, 1858. Being too long to be used in full, various arrangement of lines and stanzas have been adopted for C. U. Most of these begin with the opening line of the hymn. One exception is, "I have a heritage of joy," in the American Unitarian Hy. [& Tune] Bk. for Church & Home, Boston, 1868, which begins with st. 3, l. 5.
From: Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892, 1907
Waring, Anna Laetitia, the daughter of Elijah Waring and niece of Samuel Miller Waring, the hymn writer, was born at Neath, in Southern Wales, in 1820. As late as 1893 she was living at Clifton, near Bristol, England. Her Hymns and Meditations were published in London in 1853. This book was republished in Philadelphia in 1859 by "The Association of Friends for the Diffusion of Religious and Useful Knowledge," and again in Boston in 1863. The volume contains only thirty-two pieces, and three of these are in this Hymnal. "The tone of spiritual thought and feeling in most of the pieces is very lofty and very pure. The ideas of a Christian life which are wrought into the poetry are always both strong and tender, vigorous and gentle, brave and trustful." We hope to obtain additional facts concerning Miss Waring for insertion in later editions of this volume.
| Father, I know that all my life | 465 |
| In heavenly love abiding | 452 |
| My Saviour, on thy word of truth | 364 |
From: Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church (Handbook for 1905 Methodist Hymnal)
Extracted from various hymnal handbooks and histories
See also Works by Anna L. Waring at the
Christian Classics Ethereal Library.