O happy land, O happy land where saints and angels dwell!

Author: Elizabeth Parson

Parson, Elizabeth, nee Hooker, daughter of the Rev. W. Rooker (for nearly fifty years Congregational Minister at Tavistock), was born at Tavistock, June 5, 1812, and married in 1844 to Mr. T. Edgecombe Parson. She died at Plymouth in 1873. Previous to her marriage (from 1840 to 1844) Mrs. Parson conducted a class for young men and women in the vestry of her father's chapel on Sunday evenings, and to which was given the name of the “Willing Class," because those who came, came "willingly." For this class she wrote from 1840 to 1844 several hymns, some of which came into use through various collections including the Baptist Psalms & Hymns, 1858, and others at a later date. A few years ago 18 of these hymns were collected, and printed for pr… Go to person page >

O happy land, O happy land. E. Parson, née Booker. [Heaven.] Contributed to J. Curwen's Child's Own Hymn Book, 1840, in 2 stanzas of 8 lines, the first beginning as above, and the second, "Thou heavenly Friend," &c. This was repeated in the Baptist Psalms & Hymns, 1858, and several other collections. Another text, also by Mrs. Parson, in 3 stanzas of 4 lines was published in her Willing Class Hymns some time after her death. It consists of the two stanzas as above, somewhat altered, and another stanza, beginning, "The saints in light," &c. These three stanzas are given in W. F. Stevenson's Hymns for Church & Home, 1873.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)