William Bell Gillham

Last Monday Rachel Hall posted about a tune book of which I had not heard, by William Bell Gillham, the Aeolian Lyrist: a New Collection of Psalm and Hymn tunes adapted to the Various Metres in General Use; with a few Anthems and Set Pieces, W. B. Gillham, Cincinnati, OH: Applegate and Co., 1853.

"In 1854 [apparently, 1853, rlv] William B. Gillham, Columbia, Tennessee, published the Aeolian Lyrist (printed by Applegate & Co., Cincinnati, and by the Cumberland Presbyterian Board in Louisville) in shapes the three novel ones of which are described as follows..."

"My mother had a cousin, the Rev. Wm. B. Gillham, at one time pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Columbia, Tenn., and author of a music book, "The Aeolian Lyrist," who had a similar experience to my own. He was brought up in the same church I was [Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church], and was educated in that church for the ministry. But when he took up the study of theology and began to compare his Confession of Faith with the Bible, with its plain "whosoever will" doctrines, as he afterwards wrote me, he had not been a Calvinist, and so entered the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, placing himself under the care of the Tennessee Presbytery, which presbytery I also joined in April, 1870, at Athens, Ala., being licensed by this same presbytery in April, 1872, at Madison, Madison County, Alabama." -- From page 6 in The Difference in Creedal Statement Between the Confessions of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Accompanied by An Earnest Plea for the Perpetuation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with its " Whosoever Will " Doctrines, William Thomas Dale, Franklin, TN: W. T. Dale, 1905

"MALE AND FEMALE SCHOOL.  Vernon, Alabama.
"The Trustees of the Vernon High School take pleasure in announcing that they have made an arrangement with REV. W. B. GILLHAM to take charge of their Institution for the ensuing school year – to commence on the 1st Monday in November.  Mr. Gillham’s long and successful experience as educator of the youth of both sexes warrant us in giving him our highest endorsement and soliciting for our School a liberal patronage..." -- From The Vernon Pioneer, February 23, 1877

A couple of Gillham's songs can be seen in Songs of Zion: the New Official Hymnal of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by W., T. Dale. 

• YONGST C.M., No. 21 on page 17
• EXPIATION L.M., No. 73 on page 46 (written by Gillham and arranged by Dale)
• GILLHAM C.M., No. 243 on page 138 is written by W. T. Dale and (probably) named for W. B. Gillham