Massie, Richard

Author

b Chester, Ches 1800, d Pulford Hall, Coddington, nr Chester 1887. The son of a clerical family, he inherited two large ancestral estates and spent most of his time in (and on) his garden and with his books. He published a translation of Martin Luther’s Spiritual Songs (1854) and Lyra Domestica (translated from Karl Spitta qv, 1860) and contributed English versions of other German texts to various hymn-books and journals including Wm Mercer’s Church Psalter and Hymn Book (1854, once very popular) and Reid’s British Herald. 13 of these are versions from P Gerhardt; one is his much-reprinted translation of Ein’ feste Burg (see 888, note) which, however, has had to face stiff competition. As with the hymn included here, and his version of Luther’s paraphrase of Ps 130 beginning. ‘From depths of woe I raise to thee/ the voice of lamentation’, Massie ‘often achieves an eloquence which translators usually find it necessary to renounce’— Routley. He is represented by at least one hymn in several current books, mainly those from the Free Churches. No.456.