Name Elizabeth Clephane | ||
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Died February 19, 1869, Scottish Borders, United Kingdom | ||
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Elizabeth Cecelia Douglas Clephane (18 June 1830 – 19 February 1869) was a Scottish songwriter, who wrote the hymns "The Ninety and Nine" and "Beneath the Cross of Jesus".
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Life
She was born at 5 West Circus Place in Edinburgh, Scotland, the third daughter of Andrew Clephane FRSE (1780-1838), advocate and She</ref>riff of Fife, and his wife, Anna Maria Douglas (daughter of Lt Col Robert Douglas and Anna Maria Ashenhurst).
Her hymns were promoted in America by Ira Sankey who wrote a tune entitled "Clephane" to accompany the Ninety and Nine. However the hymn is more usually paired with the tune "St Christopher" by Frederick Maker.
Folklore claims that Elizabeth wrote "The Ninety and Nine" for her brother, George Clephane (1819-1851), who had "returned to the flock" only a short time before his death. As the story goes, he fell from his horse and struck his head upon a rock and was killed instantly. His grave site at Fergus, Ontario, Canada has become a pilgrimage of sorts for those who admired Clephane's hymns. Other siblings were Anna Maria Clephane (c. 1823-1895) and Anna Jane Douglas Clephane (c. 1825-1910).
She died at Bridgend House, near Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland where she had spent most of her later life. Elizabeth is buried in the grave of her parents in St Cuthbert's churchyard in central Edinburgh. The grave lies against the southern wall of the central section.