Anna Bartlett Warner

Born in New York in 1824, Anna Bartlett Warner wrote fiction, poetry, and religious works, often in connection with her sister Susan Warner. The two sisters became well known for popular novels and other writing after their family’s finances declined, and they spent much of their lives at Constitution Island on the Hudson River.

Warner is most closely associated with the hymn Jesus Loves Me, whose simple words gave it an enduring place in children’s religious music. She also published books of her own and worked on collections of hymns and devotional writing, building a career that reached far beyond that single song.

Her life and work reflect a blend of literary success, religious feeling, and practical perseverance. Remembered today as both an author and hymn writer, she left behind a body of work that helped shape popular Christian reading and singing in her era.