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Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. A member of the Sixth Avenue Bible Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, she wrote many hymns together with her pastor, Robert Lowry. She was one of the most prolific hymnists in history, writing over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs,〔One source indicates at least 8,440. See Armin Haeussler, ''The Story of Our Hymns: The Handbook to the Hymnal of the Evangelical and Reformed Church'', 3rd. ed. (General Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church by Eden Pub. House, 1954), p. 613.〕〔Osbeck, ''Amazing Grace'', p. 206.〕 with over 100 million copies printed, despite being blind from shortly after birth.〔Don Hawkinson, ''Character for Life: An American Heritage: Profiles of Great Men and Women of Faith who Shaped Western Civilization'', New Leaf Publishing Group, 2005, p. 35.〕 She is also known for her teaching, and her rescue mission work. By the end of the 19th century, she was "a household name".〔Morgan (2003), p. 183.〕 Known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers",〔''The Hymn'' 35 (Hymn Society of America, 1984), p. 222.〕 and as the "Mother of modern congregational singing in America",〔("Fanny Crosby" ), LANDMARKS PRESERVATION SOCIETY of Southeast, Inc., February 11, 2010.〕 with most American hymnals containing her work,〔''Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints'', Church Publishing, Inc., 2010, pp. 216–17.〕 as "with the possible exception of Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, Crosby has generally been represented by the largest number of hymns of any writer of the twentieth century in nonliturgical hymnals".〔Wilhoff (2005), p. 92.〕 Her gospel songs were "paradigmatic of all revival music",〔 and Ira Sankey attributed the success of the Moody and Sankey evangelical campaigns largely to Crosby's hymns.〔Anne Commire and Deborah Klezmer, ''Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia'', (Yorkin Publications, 2000), p. 220.〕 Some of Crosby's best-known songs include "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Blessed Assurance", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "To God Be the Glory". Because some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.〔Hall (1914), p. 41.〕〔For a list of 98 of her pseudonyms, see "Frances Jane Crosby (Fanny Crosby) 1820–1915", http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/c/r/o/crosby_fj.htm〕〔One source indicates she used approximately 250 pseudonyms; see Darlene Neptune, ''Fanny Crosby Still Lives'' (Pelican Publishing, 2002), p. 91.〕 Crosby wrote over 1,000 secular poems,〔Ruffin (1995), p. 50.〕 and had four books of poetry published, as well as two best-selling autobiographies. Additionally, she co-wrote popular secular songs, as well as political and patriotic songs, and at least five cantatas on biblical and patriotic themes, including ''The Flower Queen'', the first secular cantata by an American composer. Crosby was committed to Christian rescue missions, and was known for her public speaking. ==Early life and education== Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby was born on March 24, 1820, in the village of Brewster, about north of New York City.〔Blumhofer (2005), pp. 1–13.〕 She was the only child of John Crosby, a widower who had a daughter from his first marriage,〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 14.〕 and his second wife, Mercy Crosby, both of whom were relatives of Revolutionary War spy Enoch Crosby. According to C. Bernard Ruffin, John and Mercy were possibly first cousins, however "by the time Fanny Crosby came to write her memoirs (1906 ), the fact that her mother and father were related... had become a source of embarrassment, and she maintained that she did not know anything about his lineage".〔Ruffin (1995), p. 20.〕 Crosby was proud of her Puritan heritage. Crosby traced her ancestry from Anna Brigham and Simon Crosby who arrived in Boston in 1635,〔.〕〔.〕 and was one of the founders of Harvard College,〔.〕 whose descendants later married into Mayflower families,〔 making Crosby a descendant of Elder William Brewster, Edward Winslow, and Thomas Prence, and later a member of the exclusive Daughters of the Mayflower.〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 11.〕 Crosby was also later a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Bridgeport, Connecticut,〔Ruffin (1995), p. 238.〕 writing the verses of the state song of the Connecticut branch.〔.〕 Through Simon Crosby, Fanny was also a relative of Presbyterian minister Howard Crosby and his son, neoabolitionist Ernest Howard Crosby,〔.〕 as well as singers Bing Crosby and his brother, Bob.〔Blumhofer (2005), pp. ix, 3, 11.〕 At six weeks old, Crosby caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. Mustard poultices were applied to treat the discharges. According to Crosby, this procedure damaged her optic nerves and blinded her but modern physicians think that her blindness was more likely congenital and, given her age, may simply not have been noticed by her parents.〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 15.〕〔"Fanny Crosby: The Early Years", ''Leben: A Journal of Reformation Life'' 4:3 (July–September 2008) http://www.leben.us/index.php/component/content/article/63-volume-4-issue-3/262-fanny-crosby-the-early-years〕 In November of 1820, when Fanny was only six months old, John Crosby died, so she was raised by her mother and maternal grandmother, Eunice Paddock Crosby (born about 1778; died about 1831).〔Edith L. Blumhofer, ''Her Heart Can See: The Hymns and Life of Fanny Crosby'' (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005):14,27.〕 These women grounded Crosby in Protestant Christian principles, helping her, for example, memorize long passages from the Bible, and she became an active member of the John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. When Crosby was aged three, the family moved to North Salem, New York, where Eunice had been raised.〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 13.〕 In April 1825 Crosby was examined by Valentine Mott, who concluded that Crosby's condition was inoperable and that her blindness was permanent. At the age of eight Crosby wrote her first poem, which described her condition. Crosby later remarked: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."〔"Fanny Crosby; America's Hymn Queen", ''Glimpses of Christian History'' 198, http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses2/glimpses198.shtml〕 Crosby also once said, "when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior". When asked about her blindness, Crosby was reported as saying that "had it not been for her affliction she might not have so good an education or have so great an influence, and certainly not so fine a memory".〔Annie Isabel Willis, "A Blind Hymn Writer", ''Daily True American'', August 1, 1889, p. 2.〕 In 1828, Mercy and Fanny moved to the home of a Mrs. Hawley in Ridgefield, Connecticut.〔Neptune (2001), p. 242.〕 While residing in Ridgefield, they attended the Presbyterian church on the Village Green.〔Crosby (1906), p. 6.〕 Crosby's mother and grandmother grounded Crosby in Protestant Christian principles, helping her, for example, memorize long passages from the Bible. Historian Edith L. Blumhofer described the Crosby home environment as sustained by "an abiding Christian faith".〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 16.〕 With the encouragement of her grandmother, and later Mrs. Hawley, from the age of ten, Crosby had memorized five chapters of the Bible each week, until by the age of fifteen Crosby had memorized the four gospels, the Pentateuch,〔 the Book of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and many of the Psalms.〔 From 1832, a music teacher came to Ridgefield twice a week to give singing lessons to Crosby and some of the other children.〔Crosby (1906), p. 8.〕 Around the same time, Crosby attended her first Methodist church services at the Methodist Episcopal Church where she was delighted by their hymns.〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 25.〕 In 1835, just before her 15th birthday, Crosby enrolled at the New York Institution for the Blind (NYIB),〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 30.〕 a state-financed school. She remained there for eight years as a student, and another two years as a graduate pupil,〔Blumhofer (2005), p. 71.〕 during which she learned to play the piano, organ, harp, and guitar, and became a good soprano singer. While Crosby was studying at NYIB, in 1838 her mother Mercy Crosby remarried and the couple had three children together.〔Neptune (2001), p. 8.〕 Mercy's husband abandoned her in 1844.〔Blumhofer (2005), pp. 118–21.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fanny Crosby」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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