Grant, Sir Robert

(1779-1838)

   Born in India, the son of Charles Grant, the Indian philanthropist and statesman, he graduated M.A. from Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1804 and was called to the bar in 1807. Several times member of Parliament, his major campaign in the House of Commons was the repeal of the civil disabilities of the Jews, a fight which was not won until 1858. He became judge advocate-general in 1832 and governor of Bombay in 1834, the same year in which he was knighted. He died at Dalpoorie in 1838 and was buried at St. Mary's Church in Poonah. His Sacred Poems was edited in 1839 by his brother, Charles, Lord Glenelg, and new editions appeared in 1844 and 1868. His poem "O Worship the King," based on Psalm 104, set to the tune "Hanover," is in most hymn books. Some of his other hymns/poems: "By Thy Birth, and by Thy Tears," "How Deep the Joy, Almighty Lord," "Lord of Earth, Thy Forming Hand," "Savior, When in Dust to Thee," "The Starry Firmament on High," "When Gathering Clouds Around I View," "Wherefore Do the Nations Rage."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk). The World's Great Religious Poetry. Caroline Miles Hill, ed. Macmillan, 1954.