eHymns.org

8 January 1861–1 February 1918
I had the pleasure of being entertained for some weeks in the home of Miss Ada Habershon, the author of many beautiful hymns—among which are “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” set to music by Charles H. Gabriel, and “Oh, What a Change!” the music by Robert Harkness.

Miss Habershon sang with me frequently during those weeks. Up to that time she neither had at­tempted to write hymns nor to give attention to the special Bible work that in later years brought her into prominence. During the Torrey and Alexander Mission in London Mr. Alexander discovered her ability as a writer of gospel hymns and arranged with her to write for him exclusively, which arrangement continued until her death, a few years prior to his own passing.

by George C. Stebbins
Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories (1924)

Source: https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/ada-habershon
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Ada Ruth Habershon (1861-1918) was an English Christian hymnist, best known for her 1907 gospel song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" for which the tune was composed by Charles H. Gabriel.

Biography
Ada R. Habershon was born in Marylebone, England, on 8 January 1861. Her father, Dr. Samuel Osborne Habershon, was a noted physician; her mother was Grace Habershon. She was raised in Chelsea, London, in a Christian home. In her twenties, she was a member of the circle surrounding Charles Spurgeon. She met Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey in 1884 during their preaching tour of England. At their urging, she visited the United States, delivering a series of lectures on the Old Testament that were later published.

Habershon's first foray into hymn writing came in 1899, when she wrote several hymns in the German language. She wrote her first English language hymns in 1901, while ill. In 1905, Charles M. Alexander and R. A. Torrey toured the United Kingdom, and Alexander asked Habershon to write hymns for use during this evangelistic tour. Habershon ultimately sent Alexander over 200 hymns.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_R._Habershon

Born: December 14, 1891, Windhill, Yorkshire, England.
Died: August 1983, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Buried: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Barraclough was educated in England, and studied organ and piano from the age of five. He worked for a while as a claims adjuster for the Car and General Insurance Company. From 1911-1913, he was secretary to Member of Parliament George Scott Robertson. He then joined the Chapman-Alexander evangelistic team as a pianist, and traveled with them to America and remained there. He fought in World War I, rising to the rank of sergeant major, then became secretary, and later an administrator, of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (1919-1961). He wrote words for 20 hymns and tunes to 120.


Hymns

Ivory Palaces

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/b/a/r/barraclough_h.html

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