John George Fleet

Fleet, John George, was born in London on the 8th of July, 1818. At 15 years of age he was removed from school to his father's counting-house, and at 17 he had to undertake, through his father's death, the sole control of the business, and from that time he followed commercial pursuits. At an early age he joined as teacher in a small Sunday School which his sister had begun in Lime Street, London. His interest in Sunday Schools which was thus awakened led him, with some young fellow-teachers, to found the Church Sunday School Institute in 1843. Of that Institute he was honorary Secretary for 20 years; and for 15 years he was Editor of the Church Sunday School Quarterly.

To the hymn-book published by the Institute, The Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1848, he contributed the following hymns by which he is known to hymnology:—
1. How faint and feeble is the praise. Angels' Worship.
2. Let children to their God draw near. Children's Worship.
3. 0 Lord, our God, Thy wondrous might. Collect 7th S. after Trinity.
4. Source of life, and light, and love. A Teacher's Prayer.
5. What mercies, Lord, Thou hast in store. Collect for 6th S. after Trinity.
6. Words are things of little cost. Sins of the Tongue.
In addition to these hymns, Mr. Fleet contributed several to The Church Sunday School Quarterly in 1852-3-8, and 1861, and has published a small volume of poems and hymns entitled Lux in Tenebris, 1873.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)