Charlotte Elliott

Charlotte Elliott (18 March 1789 – 22 September 1871) was an English poet, hymn writer, and editor. She is best known by two hymns, "Just As I Am" and "Thy will be done". Elliott edited Christian Remembrancer Pocket Book (1834–1859) and The Invalid's Hymn book, 6th edition, 1854. To this latter collection, she contributed 112 hymns including "Just As I Am, without one plea", a hymn dated 1836, which was translated into almost every living language of the day. Unsure of her relationship with Christ, she penned words of assurance about Jesus loving her "just as I am." William B. Bradbury composed music for her lyrics and published the song in 1849. The hymn was translated into many languages, with tens of thousands of people committing their lives to Christ during the playing of it. She also published "My God and Father while I stray" (1834) in the same collection. Elliott was the author of Hymns for a week, 1837, 40th thousand, 1871; Hours of Sorrow, 1836 and many later editions, Poems by C. E., 1863. An invalid for many years, her life was filled with deeds of beneficence. She shrank from everything ostentatious, nearly all her books having been issued anonymously. Early life and education Elliott was born on 18 March 1789 at Westfield Lodge, Brighton. Her maternal grandfather, Henry Venn of the Clapham Sect, of Huddersfield and Yelling, England, was a clergyman. He wrote The Complete Duty of Man (1763), and was one of that band of ministers, whose labours and writings brought about and promoted the Great Awakening of the 18th century, among the churches of Great Britain. He married (1757) a daughter of the Thomas Bishop, a cleric in Ipswich. Their eldest daughter, Eling, often addressed in Venn's Memoirs, married on 30 December 1785 Charles Elliott, a silk merchant, of Clapham and Brighton. Of their six children, Charlotte was the third daughter. Her siblings were Henry Venn Elliott and Edward Bishop Elliott, who were members of the clergy and engaged as assistants to the vicar, rector and parish priest of St Mary the Virgin Church and St Mark's Church, Brighton respectively. Henry Venn Elliott was also the founder of St Mary's Hall in Brighton. There was also a sister, Eleanor. Elliott's childhood was passed in a circle of great refinement and piety. She was highly educated, and developed, at an early age, a great passion for music and art.