Joseph Horatio Chant

Born in Somerset, England, in 1837, he moved to Canada with his family as a small child and grew up in Ontario. After teaching for a time, he studied at Victoria College and went on to serve in the Methodist ministry.

Alongside his work as a minister, he wrote poetry shaped by religion, moral reflection, and the natural world. He is especially associated with Gleams of Sunshine (1915), a collection known for its devotional and optimistic tone.

He died in 1928 after a long life spent largely in Ontario. Though not widely known today, his work remains of interest to readers and listeners drawn to Canadian religious verse and public-domain poetry.