Agnes Mary Harding, 1887-1966.

Agnes Mary Harding was born on May 12th. 1887 and lived most of her life in London. She was the second child of a middle-class family of ten, but as the first baby died at one year old, she was effectively the eldest. She had a strict and somewhat austere upbringing, her parents, though godly people, being to some extent detached from their children. One of the girls died when thirteen years old and this was a great grief to the family. There were two boys, one of whom died at the age of thirty. He had been a stretcher bearer in the First World War.

Agnes Mary was known in her family as "Daisy". She was of a thoughtful disposition and a reader, and liked to talk over spiritual matters with her remaining brother when she had opportunity. She was musical, sang an alto part and inherited the family ability to write poetry. She composed "Thine is the love Lord that draws us together" one Lord's Day after the morning meeting for the breaking of bread. She never married, but worked in London, and lived with Winifred, the only other one of her sisters who was unmarried, Winifred was always the meticulous family house keeper. They lived together in a large flat in Streatham for some years, and at one time provided lodgings for various Christian young men among the brethren, in whom they took a great interest. When Winifred died, Daisy went to live with a married sister in Norwich, but, sad to say, developed a Parkinsonian type of illness and had to go into a Norwich nursing home, where she died in 1966.

Miss Harding's hymn in 'Spiritual Songs' is No. 26, "Thine is the love, Lord, that draws us together". It is a beautiful hymn and has become a favourite hymn with which to commence the remembrance of the Lord.

Hymns by Agnes Mary Harding