1838–1882

Introduction

portrait

Born: May 30, 1838, Al­der­bury, Wilt­shire, Eng­land (birth name: Will­iam Charles Fry).

Died: Au­gust 24, 1882, Park Hall, Pol­mont, Stir­ling­shire, Scot­land.

Buried: Glas­gow, Scot­land. On New Year’s Day 1884, a mo­nu­ment to The first band­mas­ter of the Sal­va­tion Ar­my was un­veiled ov­er his grave. On it was in­scribed a verse Fry wrote:

The former things are past,
And ended is the strife,
I’m safe home at last!
I live an endless life!

Biography

A brick­lay­er by trade, like his fa­ther, Fry was a ver­sa­tile mu­si­cian, play­ing the vio­lin, cel­lo, pi­ano, cor­net, and har­mo­ni­um, and lead­ing an or­ches­tra and band at the Wes­ley­an cha­pel in Al­der­bu­ry.

He al­so helped the Chris­tian Mis­sion in Sa­lis­bu­ry, and his fa­mi­ly band ac­com­pan­ied Sal­va­tion Ar­my found­er Will­iam Booth in ev­an­gel­ism cam­paigns.

Sources

Lyrics

  1. Come, the Sav­ior’s Call­ing
  2. Come, Thou Burn­ing Spi­rit, Come!
  3. God Gave His Son for Me
  4. Lily of the Vall­ey, The