"A little child the Saviour came" is a widely respected nineteenth-century hymn written by the Reverend William Robertson, minister of Monzievaird. Focused on the sacrament of Holy Baptism, the piece beautifully links the humility of Christ's incarnation with the baptism of young children.
The hymn was first contributed to the Church of Scotland's Hymns for Public Worship in 1861. It was subsequently republished in the denomination's landmark Scottish Hymnal in 1870 as entry number 181, structured in five stanzas of four lines.
Interestingly, the hymn achieved a far more extensive and lasting popularity in North America than it did in Great Britain. However, this transatlantic journey introduced a persistent historical error. In major publications such as Edwin F. Hatfield's Church Hymn Book of 1872, the Hymns and Songs of Praise of 1874, and the Philadelphia Presbyterian Hymnal of 1874, the text was mistakenly credited to the elder William Robertson. The elder Robertson was a completely different historical figure, famous for his association with the pioneering Scottish Translations and Paraphrases of 1745. Despite this widespread editorial mix-up, the hymn itself remained a beloved staple for infant baptism services across multiple American denominations.
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