Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby

1820-1915

“I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not…I will make darkness light before them.” Isaiah 1:16

Born: March 24, 1820, Putnam County, New York. Died: February 12, 1915, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Buried: Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Fanny Crosby was probably the most prolific hymnist in history. Though blinded by an incompetent doctor at six weeks of age, she wrote over 8,000 hymns. About her blindness, she said: It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not ac­­cept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me. In her lifetime, Fanny Crosby was one of the best known women in the United States. To this day, the vast majority of American hymnals contain her work. When she died, her tombstone carried the words, “Aunt Fanny” and “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.” Eliza Hewitt memorialized Fanny’s passing in a poem: Away to the country of sunshine and song, Our songbird has taken her flight, And she who has sung in the darkness so long Now sings in the beautiful light.

For more of Fanny Crosby’s incredible story, click here.

Pseudonyms:

• Adrienne, Cora
• Alstyne, Fannie Jane
• Andrews, A. E.
• Apple, James
• Armstrong, Alice
• Atherton, Rose
• Bell, Carrie
• Bethune, Catherine
• Black, James
• Black, James L.
• Black, James M.
• Blair, Henrietta
• Booth, Florence
• Bruce, Charles
• Bruce, Robert
• Burns, Charles
• Carlston, Mary
• Carlton, Leah
• Church, Fannie
• Craddock, Eleanor
• Culyer, Lyman G.
• Dale, Ella
• Dayton, Flora
• D. D.
• D. D. R.
• Dykes, Ryan A.
• Eliot, James
• Edmonds, Lizzie
• Edwards, Lizzie
• F. A. N.
• F. J. C.
• F. J. V. A.
• Fannie
• Fanny
• Forrest, Mrs. Edna
• Frances, Carrie
• Frances, Grace J.
• Frances, Lillian G.
• Frances, S. Trevor
• Frances, Victoria
• Garnet, Jenny
• Glen, Jenie
• Gould, Frank
• Grinley, Mrs. Kate
• G. W. W.
• Harmon, Ruth
• Hawthorn, Carrie
• Hope, Frances
• Hops, Frances
• James, Annie
• James, Mary
• James, Sarah
• J. F. O.
• J. W. W.
• Judson, Myra
• Lankton, Martha
• Lincoln, H. N.
• Lindsay, W. Robert
• L. L. A.
• Lowry, Minnie B.
• Marion, Maude
• Martin, S
• Martin, Sallie
• Martin, Sam
• Miller, Laura
• Montieth, A
• Montieth, Alice
• Park, Edna L.
• Prentice, Mrs. L.C.
• Smiling, Mrs. Kate
• Smith, Sallie A.
• Smith, Sallie E.
• Smith, Sally
• Smith, Sam
• Sterling, J. L.
• Sterling, Julia
• Sterling, Ryan
• Sterling, Victoria
• Stewart, Victoria
• Taylor, Ida Scott
• The Children’s Friend
• Tilden, Louise W.
• Tilden, Mary
• V., Jenny
• Van A., Mrs.
• Van Alstyne, Fannie
• Van Alstyne, Fannie Jane
• Van Alstyne, Mrs.
• Van Alstyne, Mrs. Alexander
• Viola
• Wallace, Zemira
• Wilson, Carrie
• Wilson, Mrs. C. M.
• ## [yes, she sometimes used these marks instead of a name!]
• ###
• ‘*’
• ***

Hymns:

1. All the Way My Savior Leads Me
2. Army of Endeavor
3. As the Bird Flies Home
4. At the Cross There’s Room
5. Awake! Awake!
6. Awake! Awake! O Heart of Mine!
7. Awake! For the Trumpet Is Sounding!
8. Away! Away!
9. Beautiful Vale of Rest
10. Behold Me Standing at the Door
11. Behold the Wondrous Love
12. Bless This Hour of Prayer
13. Blessed Are They That Believe
14. Blessed Assurance
15. Blessed Bible
16. Blessed Cross of Jesus
17. Blessed Feast, The
18. Blessed Homeland
19. Blessed Redeemer
20. Blest, Blest Forever
21. Blind Bartimeus
22. Blood Washed Throng, The
23. Break Forth, O Joyful Heart
24. Bright Forever, The
25. By and By
26. By the Grace of God We’ll Meet
27. Calling for You
28. Children Sing
29. Choose Ye Today
30. Christ Is Risen!
31. Christ the Lord Is King
32. Christian Brother, o’er the Main
33. Christian Flag, The
34. Cleansing Fountain, The
35. Close to Thee
36. Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
37. Come, Come Away!
38. Come, Great Deliverer, Come!
39. Come, Oh Come, with Thy Broken Heart
40. Come to the Fountain!
41. Come unto Me, Ye Weary
42. Come with Rejoicing
43. Coming Today!
44. Conquering Now and Still to Conquer
45. Dark Is the Night
46. Dear Jesus, Canst Thou Help Me?
47. Draw Me Nearer
48. Faith in Jesus
49. Few More Marchings Weary, A
50. Gathering Out of Tears
51. Glad Tidings
52. Gladly We Will Go
53. Glory Ever Be to Jesus!
54. Glory to God, Hallelujah
55. Go Work in the Vineyard
56. God Leadeth
57. God So Loved the World
58. God’s Holy Church Shall Triumph
59. Good-night Till We Met in the Morning
60. Great Jehovah, Mighty Lord
61. Guiding Hand, The
62. Hand in Hand
63. Handful of Leaves, A
64. Hark! There Comes a Whisper!
65. He Feedeth His Flock
66. He Hideth My Soul
67. He Is All in All to Me
68. He Is Coming
69. Healing at the Fountain
70. Hear and Answer Prayer
71. Hear Us, O Savior!
72. Heavenly Father, We Beseech Thee
73. Here from the World We Turn
74. Hide Me
75. Hide Thou Me
76. Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord
77. How Oft in Holy Converse
78. How Sweet the Hour
79. I Am So Glad That Jesus Came
80. I Am Thine, O Lord
81. I Have Entered Beulah Land
82. I Must Have the Savior with Me
83. I Will Not Be Long!
84. I’ll Bear It, Lord, for Thee
85. In the Twinkling of an Eye
86. Is It There?
87. Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home
88. Jesus, My All
89. Jesus, My Only Hope
90. Joyfully Sing
91. Just a Word for Jesus
92. Keep Thou My Way
93. King Is Coming, The
94. Laurels, Fresh Laurels
95. Lay It Down
96. Let Me Lean on Thee
97. Let the Light Stream In
98. Lights of Home, The
99. Like a Wayward Child I’ve Wandered
100. Lion of Judah, The
101. Look Up! Ye Weary Ones
102. Lord, Abide with Me
103. Lord, Here I Am
104. Lord in Zion Reigneth, The
105. Master’s Call, The
106. Meet Me There
107. Message Sweet Is Borne to Me, A
108. More Like Jesus Would I Be
109. Morning Draweth Nigh, The
110. My Savior First of All
111. My Song Shall Be of Jesus
112. Near the Cross
113. Nearer the Cross
114. Never Give Up
115. Never Shone a Light So Fair!
116. No King but Christ
117. No Sorrow There
118. O Be Saved
119. O Blessed Bible
120. O Brother, Life’s Journey Beginning!
121. O Child of God
122. O Church of God, Arise!
123. O Eden, Dear Eden
124. O Fly to Him
125. O My Savior, Hear Me
126. Oh, How Sweet When We Mingle
127. Oh, Precious Words!
128. Oh, to Be Nearer
129. Oh, What Are You Going to Do?
130. Oh, Wonderful Word!
131. On Let Us Go
132. On the Banks Beyond the River
133. Only a Beam of Sunshine
134. Only a Little Way
135. Only a Step
136. Only Thy Garment’s Hem
137. Onward, Ye Pilgrims
138. Open the Gates of the Temple
139. Opening Hymn
140. Our Festive Song
141. Out of Bondage
142. Out on the Desert
143. Palace of the King, The
144. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
145. Pilgrim’s Journey, The
146. Praise Him, Praise Him
147. Praise, Praise His Name
148. Praise the Rock of Our Salvation
149. Praise Ye the Lord
150. Press On!
151. Pure Within
152. Rainbow Round the Throne, The
153. Redeemed
154. Rescue the Perishing
155. Rest at Home
156. Rest over Jordan
157. Revive Thy Work, O Lord!
158. Room for the Penitent
159. Sacred Fountain
160. Safe in the Arms of Jesus
161. Save Me at the Cross
162. Saved by Grace
163. Savior, More Than Life
164. Shadow of the Rock, The
165. Shall I Be Saved Tonight?
166. Shepherd’s Fold on High
167. Shout in the Camp, A
168. Sing unto God
169. Sing with a Tuneful Spirit
170. So Near to the Kingdom!
171. Sound the Alarm!
172. Speed Away
173. Stand by the Right
174. Sweet Story of Jesus
175. Take the World, but Give Me Jesus
176. Tell It Out with Gladness
177. Tell Me the Story of Jesus
178. Tenderly He Leads Us
179. Tenderly Pleading
180. There Will I Follow Thee
181. They That Be Wise
182. They’ll Soon Be O’er
183. This I Know!
184. This My Plea
185. Though Kindred Ties Around Us
186. Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet
187. Through the Valley of the Shadow
188. Thy Holy Spirit, Lord, Alone
189. ’Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer
190. To the Work
191. To God Be the Glory
192. Too Late
193. Trusting Jesus (2)
194. Unsearchable Riches
195. Watch and Pray!
196. Waiting for the Promise
197. Walking in the Good Old Way
198. Water of Life, The
199. We All Can Do Good
200. We All Can Do Something for Jesus
201. We Are Coming Home Tonight
202. We Are Going. We Are Going
203. We Praise Thee, We Bless Thee
204. We Walk by Faith
205. Welcome for Me
206. We’ll Give Our Hearts to Jesus
207. What a Gathering
208. When Christ Arose
209. When Each Others Face We See
210. When the Dewy Light Was Fading
211. Where Is Thy Refuge?
212. Why Do the Holy Angels Sing?
213. Whom Have I in Heaven?
214. Will Jesus Find Us Watching?
215. Will the Angels Come?
216. Will You Come?
217. Yes, There Is Pardon for You