M. M. Wells

Short Name: M. M. Wells
Full Name: Wells, M. M. (Marcus Morris), 1815-1895
Birth Year: 1815
Death Year: 1895

Converted to Christianity as a youth at a mission in Buffalo, New York, Marcus Morris Wells (b. Cooperstown, NY, 1815; d. Hartwick, NY, 1895) spent most of his life near Hartwick as a farmer and maker of farm implements. He is remembered in hymnody for writing both the text and tune of "Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide." "On a Saturday afternoon, October 1858, while at work in my cornfield, the sentiment of the hymn came to me," writes Wells. "The next day, Sunday, being a very stormy day, I finished the hymn and wrote the tune for it and sent it to Prof. I. B. Woodbury." Isaac Woodbury was the editor of the New York Musical Pioneer, and the original text and tune were first published in that periodical's November 1858 issue.

Bert Polman

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Wells, Marcus M. Concerning this author and his hymn we have no information beyond the following facts:—
Holy Spirit, faithful Guide. [Whitsuntide.] Appeared in The Sacred Lute, by T. E. Perkins, N.Y., undated [1864], p. 373, with music. Both words and music are attributed therein to M. M. Wells. The hymn has since been repeated in several English and American collections, including I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, 1878. It is dated 1858.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)


Texts by M. M. Wells (18)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
ആത്മാവാം വഴികാട്ടി എന്നെ സദാ നടത്തി (Ātmāvāṁ vaḻikāṭṭi enne sadā naṭatti)M. M. Wells (Translator)Malayalam2
Children of the heavenly King, As we journey, sweetly singM. M. Wells (Author)English1
Heilg Aand, vejleder troM. M. Wells (Author)Danish2
Heil'ger Geist, Du Führer treuMarcus M. Wells (Author)German1
Heil'ger Geist, du treuer HortM. M. Wells (Author)German7
Heil'ger Geist, Du Tröster meinMarcus M. Wells (Author)German4
Heiliger Geist, du Trost und RatM. M. Wells (Author)German14
Heil'ger Geist, o treuer FreundM. M. Wells (Author)German3
Helge ande, du som ärM. M. Wells (Author)Swedish3
Helligaand, som altid erM. M. W. (Author)Norwegian2
Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, Ever near the Christian's sideMarcus M. Wells (Author)English573
Mungu Roho, KiongoziM. M. Wells (Author)Swahili1
O Espiritu SantoM. M. Wells (Author)Tagalog2
O Spirit of the living God, In all Thy plenitude of graceWells (Author)English1
Santo Espírito de DeusM. M. Wells (Author)Portuguese2
Santo Espíritu de Dios, Guía fiel de mi alma séM. M. Wells (Author)Spanish4
聖靈真實引導者 (Shènglíng zhēnshí yǐndǎo zhě)Marcus M. Wells (Author)Chinese2
When our heads [hearts] are bowed with woe, When our bitter tears overflowMarcus M. Wells (Author)English2

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