Portsmouth music scene

Sarah Doudney


Doudney Sarah Doudney (15 January 1841, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire – 8 December 1926, Oxford) --- Hymn writer and Novelist

Her father ran a candle shop and soap manufacturing business at Mile End. She spent most of her life in the village of Cosham. She was educated at Madame Dowell's College in Southsea.
When she was fifteen, wrote The Lesson of the Water-Mill, and published in the Anglican Churchman's Family Magazine (1864), a song which became well known in Britain and the United States.
From 1871 she published a series of children's novels, including The Great Salterns (1875), which was set on Portsea Island.

Some of her hymns are still occasionally sung, including,

Now the day is ending
Lord of the Golden Harvest
Saviour, Now the Day is Ending
The Master Hath Come
Christian’s Good Night
He Hath Gone into His Garden
How Long
In Thy Holy Garden Ground
Land of Peace, and Love, and Brightness
Room for the Wanderer
We Praise Our Lord Today
We Sing a Loving Jesus
Lord of the golden harvest
Now the solemn shadows darken
Saviour now the day is ending
Sleep on beloved sleep and take thy rest
The weary hours like shadows come
We praise our Lord today
We sing a loving Jesus
A collection of 60 hymns.

One of her uncles was the evangelical clergyman David Alfred Doudney, editor of The Gospel Magazine
She contributed poetry and fiction to periodicals including Dickens's All the Year Round, the Churchman's Shilling Magazine. By 1891, when she was describing herself in the census as a novelist, she had written around 35 novels, aimed at girls, and also wrote adult novels.
She published “Psalms of Life” (1871), and later “Drifting Leaves” and “Thistledown,” two dainty booklets of dainty verse.

The Master Has Come makes use of the tune of the old ballad The Ash Grove.

The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march ’neath Christ’s banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.
The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God’s Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Saviour and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
“Press onward, look upward,” through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow the King.

The Christian’s Goodnight, set by Ira D. Sankey in 1884

Sleep on, belovčd, sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon the Saviour’s breast;
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—
Good night! Good night! Good night!
Only “Good night,” belovčd—not “farewell!”
A little while, and all His saints shall dwell
In hallowed unison indivisible—
Good night! Good night! Good night!
Until we meet again before His throne,
Clothed in the spotless robe He gives His own,
Until we know even as we are known—
Good night! Good night! Good night!

Census
1871, Parish Portsea, Age 30 Single, Occupation Novelist, Birth Year (Estimated) 1841, Birthplace Hampshire, England.
1881, Event Place Widley, Hampshire, England, Registration District Fareham, Residence High Street, Age 38 Single, Occupation Writer For Monthly Journals, Birth Year (Estimated) 1843, Birthplace Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
1891, Parish Portsea ST MARK, Residence Derby Road, age 50, Occupation Novelist, Birth Year (Estimated) 1841, Birthplace Hampshire, England.

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