author
Samuel Willoughby Duffield
1843–1887
A 19th-century Presbyterian minister and hymn scholar, he is best remembered for bringing the stories behind English and Latin hymns to life. His work blends careful research with a clear love for church music and its history.
1 Audiobook
The Latin Hymn-writers and Their Hymns
by Samuel Willoughby Duffield
About the author
Born in Brooklyn in 1843, Samuel Willoughby Duffield was an American clergyman, writer, and hymnologist. He studied at Yale, entered the Presbyterian ministry in the 1860s, and served churches in places including Philadelphia, Michigan, and New Jersey.
Duffield is chiefly known for his writing on hymnody. His best-known books include English Hymns: Their Authors and History and The Latin Hymn-Writers and Their Hymns, works that helped readers connect familiar hymns with the people and traditions behind them. He also wrote poetry and devotional pieces, combining a pastor’s voice with a scholar’s curiosity.
He died in 1887, still relatively young, but his books remained useful to later readers interested in Christian hymn history. For listeners drawn to church music, literary history, or 19th-century religious writing, his work offers both background and warmth.