Joseph Medlicott Scriven was best known for writing the beloved hymn, What A Friend We Have In Jesus. He is also credited as the first Brethren preacher in Ontario, Canada, arriving in 1845.
I have picked up elsewhere fragments of the story on Doug Engle's website relating a connection Joseph Scriven had with brethren - see eg this somewhat garbled account of what was held by them: https://porthopehistory.com/jmscriven/ - an d they lead me wanting to know more. One source says his parents came into fellowship first; another that it was some strain between him and his mother over his links with brethren that prompted hbis emigration to Port Hope ONT. Does anyone know more about either end of this story - Ireland and Ontario? I am itnrigued especially not to find a trace that JND ever met Scriven, although in Ontario in several visits. I might add that there is a 'brethren tone' about the book of poems - I can imagine some of them being used in a meeting at that time.
Monday, Nov 25, 2024 : 05:07
Steve H said ...
Hi Andrew,
Wikipedia has something about Joseph M Scriven, including Ireland, Woodstock & Port Hope as well as the Plymouth Brethren,
It also mentions his best known hymn - What a Friend we have in Jesus....
Regards,
Steve H
Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024 : 02:34
Andrew Burr said ...
Steve - that helps: it would be so interesting to know more about his links with the brethren. Of course - sadly - they were already of different persuasions, and what I have seen so far does not tell us, for example, if he was with Open Brethren, or would have considered himself in fellowship with JND at the time the latter was in Ontario - but JND make no mention of him that I have found so far. It is notable that the preface to his book makes clear that a good many hymns were written to be sung on Lord's day morning, a need for which quite exercised early brethren. It is said that JND looked at 140 books when doing the 1881 book, but he didn't pick any Scriven!
