Aaron Crossley Hobart Seymour (1789–1870) was an Anglo-Irish religious author and hymn-writer.

Life

The elder brother of Michael Hobart Seymour

Michael Hobart Seymour

Michael Hobart Seymour was an Anglo-Irish Protestant clergyman and religious controversialist.-Life:He was born on 29 September 1800, the sixth son of John Crossley Seymour, vicar of Caherelly , who married in January 1789 Catherine, eldest daughter and coheiress of Rev. Edward Wight, rector of...

, he was the son of John Crossley Seymour, vicar of Caherelly

Caherelly

Caherelly is an area within the parish of Ballybricken/Bohermore in County Limerick. It is the location of Caherelly National School and Ballybricken/Bohermore GAA Club....

 in the Church of Ireland diocese of Cashel, who married the eldest daughter of Edward Wight, rector of Meelick

Meelick

-Places:Meelick, is a placename used in the West of Ireland.It may refer to:* Meelick, County Clare* Meelick, County Mayo* Meelick, County Galway...

, County Limerick

County Limerick

It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...

, a member of an old Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

 family. He was born in County Limerick on 19 December 1789, and received most of his education at home.

He was drawn in early life to the religious group formed by Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon

Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon

Selina, Countess of Huntingdon was an English religious leader who played a prominent part in the religious revival of the 18th century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales, and has left a Christian denomination in England and Sierra Leone.-Early life:Selina Hastings was born as Lady...

. About 1850 he went to reside in Italy, and spent many years in Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

. In 1869 he retired to Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, and died there in October 1870.

Works

His first work was Vital Christianity, a series of letters on religion, addressed to young persons; it appeared in 1810; a second edition was published in 1819. This work contains his hymns, some of which became popular. In 1816 Seymour published a memoir of Charlotte Brooke, prefixed to an edition of her Reliques of Irish Poetry. His Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon appeared in 1839. He edited also the life of George Whitefield

George Whitefield

George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...

 by John Gillies

John Gillies (minister)

-Life:He was born at the manse of Careston, near Brechin, where his father, John Gillies, was minister. He took literary and divinity courses at university, and after a time as tutor in several families, he became minister of the College Church, Glasgow on 29 July 1742. In this charge he remained...

.

Interested in hymnology

Hymnology

Hymnology is the scholarly study of religious song, or the hymn, in its many aspects, with particular focus on choral and congregational song. It may be more or less clearly distinguished from hymnody, the creation and practice of such song...

, he assisted Josiah Miller

Josiah Miller

-Life:The son of the Rev. Edward Miller, he was born at Putney, Surrey, on 8 April 1832. At age 13 he was articled to an engineering surveyor at Westminster; but he later gave up his articles and entered Highbury College, where he studied for the independent ministry. He graduated B.A. in 1853 and...

in preparing his Singers and Songs of the Church.