Anglican Commemoration
Hymn-Writer & Poet
October 12 · d. 1895
also known as Cecil Frances Humphreys, Fanny Alexander
Author of some of the most beloved hymns of the English-speaking Christian world, including 'All Things Bright and Beautiful,' 'Once in Royal David's City,' and 'There Is a Green Hill Far Away.' Her Hymns for Little Children (1848) shaped Christian education for generations of children and established her as one of the most widely sung voices in English Christendom. Wife of the Archbishop of Armagh, Alexander combined deep theological instruction with poetic elegance and accessibility.
Cecil Frances Alexander is remembered in the Christian tradition not primarily through biographical narrative (her life was relatively quiet and domestic) but through her hymns. In every English-speaking Christian denomination, her hymns are sung weekly by millions. Children memorize 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' as their first articulation of creation theology. Her feast day is observed in many Anglican churches. The tradition emphasizes her as a model of how domestic life, theological learning, and poetic gift could combine to serve the whole church. In contemporary discussions of women's contributions to Anglican theology and worship, Alexander frequently appears as an exemplary figure of how a woman's voice shaped doctrine and devotion.
Cecil Frances Humphreys was born in 1818 in County Wicklow, Ireland, to a Protestant gentry family. She received an excellent education including classical languages and theology, unusual for women of her era. She displayed early gift for verse composition and hymn-writing, combining her love of language with her Anglo-Catholic faith.
In 1846, she married William Alexander, who would become Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. The marriage was marked by shared theological commitment and respect for Cecil's literary work; William actively supported her writing and hymn composition.
Cecil Frances Alexander's major literary achievement was Hymns for Little Children (1848), published when she was thirty years old. The work was revolutionary: rather than abstracting Christian doctrine into complex theological verse, Alexander composed hymns explicitly for children that communicated profound spiritual truths in accessible, memorable language. The hymns moved through the Church calendar, covering liturgical seasons, biblical narratives, and moral instruction. Her three most famous hymns exemplify her characteristic approach: 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' teaches creation theology; 'Once in Royal David's City' explores Incarnational theology through the mundane circumstances of the Nativity; 'There Is a Green Hill Far Away' presents the Atonement with emotional immediacy and theological depth.
Alexander continued to write and publish poetry throughout her life. She was not only a hymn-writer but a serious poet, with collections that addressed contemporary moral and spiritual questions. Her work was admired by contemporaries including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and appeared in leading literary journals.
Alexander died on August 12, 1895, at age seventy-seven. Her hymns achieved enduring popularity: they are sung in churches worldwide, appear in virtually every modern hymnal in English, and have become so embedded in Christian consciousness that many people are unaware of their authorship. Her theological sensibility—combining sacramental piety with accessibility, formal excellence with emotional sincerity, doctrine with pastoral care—shaped English-speaking Christianity.
Almighty God, you gave your servant Cecil Frances Alexander special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth revealed in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.