author

Theron Brown

1832–1914

A Baptist minister turned long-serving magazine editor, he wrote hymns, fiction, and religious works with an easy, practical style. His career moved from the pulpit to the pages of The Youth’s Companion, where he spent more than four decades shaping reading for a wide audience.

1 Audiobook

The Story of the Hymns and Tunes

The Story of the Hymns and Tunes

by Theron Brown, Hezekiah Butterworth

About the author

Theron Brown was an American clergyman and writer born in Willimantic, Connecticut, on April 29, 1832. He studied at Yale, entered the Baptist ministry in 1859, and served churches in South Framingham and Canton, Massachusetts.

After a vocal disability forced him to leave regular pastoral work, he built a long second career with The Youth’s Companion. Sources consulted during this search describe him as a contributor and editor there for more than 40 years, including about 20 years on the office staff.

Brown also published widely in several genres. His books included The Story of the Hymns and Tunes (with Hezekiah Butterworth), The Red Shanty Boys, The Story of the Blount Family, and Under the Mulberry Trees. He died in 1914, leaving behind a body of work that connects ministry, popular reading, and hymn history.