PeopleWalford, William W., 1772-1850Texts

William W. Walford, a blind preacher of England, is the author of the hymn beginning "Sweet hour of prayer." This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer September 13, 1845. The contributor who furnished the hymn says:

"During my residence at Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, I became acquainted with W. W. Walford, the blind preacher, a man of obscure birth and connections and no education, but of strong mind and most retentive memory. In the pulpit he never failed to select a lesson well adapted to his subject, giving chapter and verse with unerring precision, and scarcely ever misplacing a word in his repetition of the Psalms, every part of the New Testament, the prophecies, and some of the histories, so as to have the reputation of knowing the whole Bible by heart."

Rev. Thomas Salmon, who was settled as the pastor of the Congregational Church at Coleshill in 1838, remained until 1842, and then removed to the United States, is believed to have been the contributor who says of the hymn: "I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil as he uttered them, and send them for insertion in the Observer if you think them worthy of preservation."

-Hymn Writers of the Church

Hymn Texts by William W. Walford	As
Awr weddi fwyn, awr weddi fwyn!	William W. Walford
Bendita hora de oracion	William W. Walford
Du traute Stunde fuer's Gebet	William W. Walford
Moment si doux de la priere	William W. Walford
O andachtszeit, O andachtszeit (3)	William W. Walford
O boenestund foer mig sa k'r	William W. Walford
O boenestund sas skoen och dyr (5)	William W. Walford
O sel'ge Stunde des Gebets	William W. Walford
O soede Boennestund	William W. Walford
O suesse Stunde des Gebets (6)	William W. Walford
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer (1063)	William W. Walford
Wie suess ist's doch, wenn im Gebet	William W. Walford

• Hymn Writers of the Church