Scotch-Irish Gospel Hymnwriters

Author: Mark THompson

Date: 1999

Source: Ullans: The Magazine for Ulster-Scots, Nummer 7 Wunter 1999

Praise the Lord

A recently-discovered volume entitled “Biographies of Gospel Songwriters” (published by Stamps-Baxter, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1971), has revealed some new information regarding one of the most famous hymnwriters of all time:

“Ira David Sankey, was born in the village of Edinburg, Pennsylvania, on August 28 1840, of Scotch-Irish descent”.

Sankey wrote hundreds of well-loved hymns such as “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”, “The Ninety and Nine” and “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”. He composed his first gospel song (entitled “Yet There is Room”, with words written by Dr Bonar) while in Edinburgh, Scotland on an evangelistic crusade with DL Moody.

In “Sacred Songs and Solos”, a hymnbook compiled under Sankey’s direction, there is a Scots language hymn entitled “My Ain Countrie”, and is reproduced overleaf.

Ira D Sankey

Ira D. Sankey

William J. Kirkpatrick

William J. Kirkpatrick

William J Kirkpatrick was born on February 27 1838, the son of Thompson Kirkpatrick from Ireland, once again in the Ulster-Scots hotbed of Pennsylvania. Throughout his life he compiled 49 hymnbooks, with some of his compositions being “The Comforter Has Come” and “Life at Best is Very Brief”.

Sacred Songs - Sankey
My Ain Countrie
My Ain Countrie
Tags:

NOTICE

The Ulster-Scots Academy has been an integral part of the Ulster-Scots Language Society since 1993. The name "Ulster-Scots Academy" is registered to the USLS with the Intellectual Property Office.

Ulster Scots Academy

LATEST

A new edition of Michael Montgomery’s From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English recounts the lasting impact that at least 150,000 settlers from Ulster in the 18th century made on the development of the English language of the United States. This new edition published by the Ulster-Scots Language Society documents over 500 ‘shared’ vocabulary items which are authenticated by quotations from both sides of the Atlantic. A searchable online version of this dictionary is now also available here.

FORTHCOMING

The Ulster-Scots Academy is currently working on the digitisation of Dr Philip Robinson's seminal Ulster-Scots Grammar and the English/Ulster-Scots part (with circa 10,000 entries) of a two-way historical dictionary of Ulster-Scots. These projects are planned to be completed and available on the site in 2016.

SUPPORT US

DONATE via PAYPAL

This site is being developed on a purely voluntary basis by the Ulster-Scots Language Society at no cost to the taxpayer. USLS volunteers have been involved in preserving and promoting Ulster-Scots for more than 20 years. All donations, however small, will be most gratefully received and contribute towards the expansion of the project. Thank you!

This site is being developed by the Ulster-Scots Language Society (Charity No. XN89678) without external financial assistance. USLS volunteers have been involved in preserving and promoting Ulster-Scots for more than 20 years. All donations, however small, will be most gratefully received and contribute towards the expansion of the project. Thank you!

(Friends of the Ulster-Scots Academy group)