William Walford

William Walford was an English Congregationalist layman and hymn writer known for a single widely used hymn text. Born in England, he worked as a small goods maker and later lost his sight. Despite his blindness, he composed religious poetry which he dictated to friends. One hymn attributed to him is Sweet Hour of Prayer, a text reflecting personal devotion and the comfort of prayer in Christian life. The hymn was later set to music by William Batchelder Bradbury and became widely used in Protestant hymnals. Walford life and writing illustrate the contribution of lay believers to the devotional hymn tradition of the nineteenth century.