Ada Habershon

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)

Ada Habershon, Ada R. Habershon: A Gatherer of Fresh Spoil (1918).

 Featured Hymns:

He will hold me fast

Collections of Hymns and Poems:

For her collaborations with Charles Alexander and Robert Harkness, see the bibliography for Alexander.

Twelve Sacred Songs (London, 1907): WorldCat

I Am a Prayer and Other Poems (ca. 1907): HathiTrust

Things Concerning Himself: Sacred Songs and Bible Studies (NY, 1910): Archive.org

Other Published Works:

The Study of the Types

1st ed. (ca. 1898): WorldCat
Enlarged ed. (1914): WorldCat

The Study of the Parables 

1st edition (1904): WorldCat
2nd edition (1905): WorldCat
3rd edition (1905): WorldCat
4th edition (ca. 1910): WorldCat
5th edition (1915): WorldCat
6th edition (1923): WorldCat

Outline Studies of the Tabernacle (1907): WorldCat
The Message of the Tabernacle (1907): WorldCat
The Priests and Levites, A Type of the Church (ca. 1908): WorldCat
The Bible and the British Museum (1909): Archive.org
The New Testament Names and Titles of the Lord of Glory (1910): WorldCat
The Study of the Miracles (1911): WorldCat
Exploring in New Testament Fields (1912)
The Strong Man Spoiled (ca. 1912): WorldCat
A Sevenfold Method of Studying the Epistles to the Seven Churches (1914): WorldCat
Hidden Pictures or, How the New Testament is Concealed in the Old Testament (1915): WorldCat
The Day of Atonement in Its Prophetic Aspect (1916): WorldCat
Israel’s Exodus, Past and Future (1917): HathiTrust
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews (n.d.): WorldCat
Satan’s Devices (n.d.): WorldCat

Related Resources:

Ellen M. Habershon, Ada R. Habershon: A Gatherer of Fresh Spoil (London: Marshall and Scott, 1918): PDF

Helen C. Alexander & J. Kennedy MacLean, Charles M. Alexander, A Romance of Song and Soul-Winning (London: Marshall, 1922), pp. 125–126: HathiTrust

George C. Stebbins, Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories (NY: George H. Doran, 1924), pp. 116–117.

J.R. Watson, “Ada Ruth Habershon,” Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/a/ada-ruth-habershon

Ada R. Habershon, Hymnary.org:
https://hymnary.org/person/Habershon_AR