”All Creatures of Our God & King”

Directions for

Hymnal Journaling

2. Read History

3. Color/Doodle Hymn

4. Share photo in comments OR

5. Share photo in Facebook Group

The Author of the Hymn

THE AUTHORS ~ William Henry Draper

Born December 19, 1855 in Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Died August 9, 1933 in Clifton, Bristol

William was an English hymnodist and clergyman who composed about sixty hymns. He is most famous for “All Creatures of Our God and King”.

 He was ordained in 1880. He was then Curate of St Mary’s, Shrewsbury, and became successively Vicar of Alfretonn in 1883. In 1899, he became Rector of Adel Church, Leeds, a position he retained for twenty-one years. In 1919, he became Master of the Temple in London. In 1930, contending that he had spent too long in one place, he left the Temple to become Vicar of Weare, retiring in 1933 shortly before his death.

History of Hymn

THE HISTORY ~ “All Creatures of Our God and King” 

The words of the hymn were initially written by St. Francis of Assisi in 1225 in the Canticle of the Sun poem, which was based on Psalm 148. The words were translated into English by William Draper, who at the time was reactor of a Church of England parish church at Adel near Leeds. Draper paraphrased the words of the Canticle and set them to music. It is not known when Draper first wrote the hymn but it was between 1899 and 1919. Draper wrote it for his church’s children’s Whitsun festival celebrations and it was later published in 1919 in the Public School Hymn Book.