Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Seymour, Aaron Crossley Hobart
SEYMOUR, AARON CROSSLEY HOBART (1789–1870), hymn-writer, elder brother of Michael Hobart Seymour [q. v.], was the son of John Crossley Seymour, vicar of Caherelly, diocese of Cashel, who married the eldest daughter of Edward Wight, rector of Meelick, co. Limerick, a member of an old Surrey family. He was born in co. Limerick on 19 Dec. 1789, and received most of his education at home. He was drawn in early life into the religious group formed by Selina Hastings, countess of Huntingdon [q. v.], whose biography he afterwards wrote. His first work was ‘Vital Christianity,’ exhibited in a series of letters on the most important subjects of religion, addressed to young persons; it appeared in 1810; a second edition was published in 1819. This work contains all his hymns, some of which are highly popular. In 1816 Seymour published a memoir of Charlotte Brooke [q. v.], prefixed to an edition of her ‘Reliques of Irish Poetry.’ His ‘Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon,’ appeared in 1839. About 1850 he went to reside in Italy, and spent many years in Naples. In 1869 he retired to Bristol, and died there in October 1870. He took a deep interest in hymnology, and assisted Joseph Miller in preparing his ‘Singers and Songs of the Church.’
[Miller's Singers and Songs of the Church, 2nd edit.; Julian's Dict. of Hymnology; Allibone's Dict. of Engl. Lit.; Brit. Mus. Cat.]