Edmund Sears
Encyclopedia
Edmund Hamilton Sears was an American Unitarian
parish minister and author who wrote a number of theological works influencing 19th century liberal Protestants. Sears is known today primarily as the man who penned the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" in 1849. It has been sung to two tunes, one by Richard Storrs Willis and another adapted by Arthur Sullivan
from a traditional English air.
Sears originally wrote the song as a melancholy reflection on his times while a minister in Wayland, Massachusetts
, USA
. However, "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" has since become a popular Christmas carol
.
. Sears attended Union College
, in Schenectady, New York
, where he was a member of the Delta Phi
Fraternity. Following graduation from Union in 1834, Sears attended Harvard Divinity School
, graduating in 1837 and began to preach as a missionary in Toledo, Ohio
, remaining nearly a year. He served Greater Boston
Unitarian congregations in Wayland, Lancaster
, and Weston
.
In addition to the above noted hymn
, Sears authored the following publications: Regeneration, 1853; Athanasia; Calm on the Listening Ear of Night; Pictures of the Olden Time, 1857; The Fourth Gospel, the Heart of Christ, 1872; and Sermons and Songs of the Christian Life, 1875. With Rev R Ellis he edited "The Monthly Religious Magazine" for twelve years.
Basic biographical information on Sears may be found in History of the Church in Weston (1909), and Samuel A. Elliot, Heralds of a Liberal Faith, vol. 3 (1910). A more thorough account is Chandler Robins, "Memoir of Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears," Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society 18 (1891). See also Albert Christ-Janer et al., comps., American Hymns Old and New (2 vols., 1980); George W. Cooke, Unitarianism in America (1902); Conrad E. Wright, The Liberal Christians (1970); and Wright, American Unitarianism, 1805-1865 (1989). Obituaries and tributes are in the Unitarian Review (Feb. 1876); the Christian Register, 22 and 29 Jan. 1872; and the Boston Daily Advertiser, 18 Jan. 1876.
He died January 14, 1876, in Weston, Massachusetts
.
American Unitarian Association
The American Unitarian Association was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.According to Mortimer Rowe, the Secretary...
parish minister and author who wrote a number of theological works influencing 19th century liberal Protestants. Sears is known today primarily as the man who penned the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" in 1849. It has been sung to two tunes, one by Richard Storrs Willis and another adapted by Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
from a traditional English air.
Sears originally wrote the song as a melancholy reflection on his times while a minister in Wayland, Massachusetts
Wayland, Massachusetts
Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,994 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on Cochituate, which is part of Wayland, please see the article Cochituate, Massachusetts.-History:...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" has since become a popular Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
.
Biography
Born on April 6, 1810, the youngest of three sons of Joseph and Lucy (Smith) Sears, Edmund grew up on a farm within sight of the Berkshire Hills, in Sandisfield, MassachusettsSandisfield, Massachusetts
Sandisfield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 824 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. Sears attended Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, where he was a member of the Delta Phi
Delta Phi
Delta Phi is a fraternity founded in 1827 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Founded as part of the Union Triad, along with the Kappa Alpha Society and Sigma Phi Society, Delta Phi was the third and last member of the Triad...
Fraternity. Following graduation from Union in 1834, Sears attended Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, graduating in 1837 and began to preach as a missionary in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, remaining nearly a year. He served Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
Unitarian congregations in Wayland, Lancaster
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
, and Weston
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
.
In addition to the above noted hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
, Sears authored the following publications: Regeneration, 1853; Athanasia; Calm on the Listening Ear of Night; Pictures of the Olden Time, 1857; The Fourth Gospel, the Heart of Christ, 1872; and Sermons and Songs of the Christian Life, 1875. With Rev R Ellis he edited "The Monthly Religious Magazine" for twelve years.
Basic biographical information on Sears may be found in History of the Church in Weston (1909), and Samuel A. Elliot, Heralds of a Liberal Faith, vol. 3 (1910). A more thorough account is Chandler Robins, "Memoir of Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears," Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society 18 (1891). See also Albert Christ-Janer et al., comps., American Hymns Old and New (2 vols., 1980); George W. Cooke, Unitarianism in America (1902); Conrad E. Wright, The Liberal Christians (1970); and Wright, American Unitarianism, 1805-1865 (1989). Obituaries and tributes are in the Unitarian Review (Feb. 1876); the Christian Register, 22 and 29 Jan. 1872; and the Boston Daily Advertiser, 18 Jan. 1876.
He died January 14, 1876, in Weston, Massachusetts
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
.