Albert Durrant Watson

Short Name: Albert Durrant Watson
Full Name: Watson, Albert Durrant, 1859-1926
Birth Year: 1859
Death Year: 1926

Watson, Albert Durrant. (Dixie, Ontario, January 8, 1859--May 3, 1926, Toronto, Ont.). Methodist. Victoria University, M.D., C.M., 1883; Edinburgh, P.R.C.P., 1883. While practising medicine in Toronto, he published nine books of prose and verse, culminating in Poetical Works (1924), and served on the compilation committee of the 1917, Methodist Hymn and Tune Book. For it, he wrote "Lord of the lands" to fit Calixa Lavallee's tune for "O Canada", since no English version of its French words had yet to gain general acceptance, and its Quebec origin worked against its use in Protestant churches. His words were widely used on patriotic occasions for the next fifty years, but only in church services, never in state celebrations.

--Hugh D. McKellar, DNAH Archives


Texts by Albert Durrant Watson (7)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
Floating o'er Judea's plainsDr. A. D. Watson, 1859- (Author)2
Lord of the lands, beneath thy bending skiesAlbert Durrant Watson (Author)19
O Canada, our home and native landAlbert C. Watson, 1859-1926 (Author (verse 2))English, French7
O thou whose love bestowethAlbert Durrant Watson (Author)2
Thou Source of being, from whose heartAlbert Durrant Watson (Author)2
Wheresoe'er, O God of nationsAlbert Durrant Watson (Author)2
With loving hearts, O Lord, we bringAlbert Durrant Watson (Author)English2
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