Brownlie, John

Author

(formerly Brownlee), b Glasgow 1857 (1859, Julian), d Crieff, Perthshire 1925. Univ of Glasgow and the Free Church College. Licensed to preach in 1884, he served the Free Ch of Scotland congregation at Portpatrick nr Stranraer, from 1885 as Asst Minister, then 5 years later as Minister. He was a Governor, and later Chairman, of Stranraer High Sch, and a member of the local School Board (Education Committee). His first hymns were published in 1889 (Hymns of our Pilgrimage); other collections followed in 1890 (Zionward: Hymns of the Pilgrim Life) and 1892 (Pilgrim Songs). Between 1896 and 1920 he also printed numerous translations of Lat and Gk hymns; the latter proved more useful as he had fewer predecessors, 4 of them being chosen for EH. As well as the text included in Praise!, Routley also selected O Light that knew no dawn (from Gregory of Nazianzus, 4th c) for his 1979 Panorama. Brownlie provided a Companion to the 1899 Church Hymnary, and received the Glasgow DD c1908. No.509.