A little child the Savior came

Author: William Robertson

Robertson, William, M.A., eldest son of the Rev. John Robertson, D.D., of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, was born at Cambuslang, July 15, 1820. He studied and graduated M.A. at the University of Glasgow. In 1843 he became parish minister of Monzievaird, Perthshire, where he died June 9, 1864. He was appointed a member of the Hymnal Committee of the Established Church in 1852, 1853, and 1857, and contributed 2 hymns to their Hymns for Public Worship, 1861, since included in their Scottish Hymnal, 1869, which have attained considerable popularity, viz., "A little child the Saviour came" (Christmas), and a version of the Te Deum, which begins, "Thee God we praise, Thee Lord confess." [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnolo… Go to person page >

A little child the Saviour came. W. Robertson. [Holy Baptism.] Contributed to the Scottish Established Church Hymns for Public Worship, 1861, and republished in their Scottish Hymnal, 1870, No. 181, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. In the American collections it has attained to a more extensive use than in those in Great Britain, but in every case, as in Hatfield's Church Hymn Book., 1872, the Hymns & Songs of Praise, 1874, the Presbyterian Hymnal, Phil., 1874, and others, it is attributed in error to the elder W. Robertson, who was associated with the Scottish Translations and Paraphrases of 1745.