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Frances Ridley Havergal is best remembered for her most famous Consecration hymn, “Take my life and let it be”, written in 1874. Several of her hymns are still to be found in almost every denominational hymn book. She is one of the few women writers whose reputation, though limited in its sphere, has never really waned. Apart from her hymns, Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal (1881) by her sister Maria is the text most often referred to in connection with Havergal’s life and work. In recent years, however, reference has been made to her by several writers showcasing or examining more closely the lives and writings of Victorian women in differing areas of public life. While some works position her foremost as a writer of religious texts, some have also examined her work as a...

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Citation: Blaize, Eslyn. "Frances Ridley Havergal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 December 2007; last revised 01 May 2025. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11876, accessed 09 June 2026.]

11876 Frances Ridley Havergal 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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