Anne Ross Cousin - Biography

Biography

Anne Ross Cousin was born in Hull, England on 27 April 1824. She was the only child of Dr. David Ross Cundell, a former assistant surgeon with the 33rd regiment at the Battle of Waterloo, and moved with her family to Leith soon after her birth. She received a private education and became a skilled pianist under John Muir Wood. In 1847, she married William Cousin, a minister of the Free Church of Scotland, then serving at a local Presbyterian church in Chelsea, and with whom she would have six children. Shortly after their marriage, William was called to minister to the Free Church in Irvine, North Ayrshire, and then in Melrose in 1859. During this time, Anne began writing church hymns for her husband's services and many of these became very popular in Britain during the mid-to late 19th century.

Her most popular song, "The Sands Of Time Are Sinking", was written in 1854 while William was still in Irvine. Cousin later claimed she had been inspired by the writing of Samuel Rutherford. The original version was 19 stanzas and first appeared in The Christian Treasury as "The Last Words of Samuel Rutherford" in 1857. It did not become widely known, however, until the Rev. Dr. J. Hood Wilson introduced a shorted 5-verse version into a hymn book, "The Service of Praise", for his congregation at the Barclay Church in Edinburgh. Other popular ones included "O Christ what burdens bowed Thy head" and "King Eternal King Immortal", the latter often set to music and sung at choral festivals.

They retired in Edinburgh after nearly 20 years of religious service. William Cousin died in 1883, and Anne remained in the city until her own death on 6 December 1906. Her daughter, Anne P. Cousin, contributed to her biography when she was profiled for the Dictionary of National Biography by Sir Sidney Lee in 1912.