John Kent

Born in 1766 in Bideford, Devon, he worked as a shipwright and spent much of his life in poverty and ill health. He had little formal education, but he taught himself enough to become a prolific writer of hymns that found a lasting place in English devotional life.

His best-known work is the hymn collection Original Gospel Hymns, first published in 1803. Over time he is said to have written many hundreds of hymns, admired for their directness, emotional warmth, and firm evangelical tone.

He died in 1843. Though he never lived as a literary celebrity, his writing endured through congregational singing and later hymn collections, giving him a quiet but lasting legacy.