H. L. Gilmour

Henry Lake Gilmour (1836–1920) was an Irish-born American dentist, soldier, and prolific gospel music editor whose life was marked by both the trials of war and a lifelong devotion to Methodist camp meetings. Born in Londonderry, Ireland, Gilmour emigrated to the United States as a teenager with intentions of becoming a navigator. However, upon arriving in Philadelphia, he transitioned into the painting trade before the outbreak of the American Civil War. During the conflict, he served in the Union Army and endured a grueling several-month imprisonment in the notorious Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia.

Following the war, Gilmour shifted his professional focus and trained as a dentist, a career he maintained for many years in Wenonah, New Jersey. Despite his medical practice, his true passion lay in the musical life of the church. He was a cornerstone of the Methodist community in New Jersey, helping to found the Methodist church in Wenonah and serving as its Sunday school superintendent. For forty years, he was the musical heart of the Pittman Grove Camp Meeting, directing the choir and leading song services at various large-scale religious gatherings across Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Gilmour was a central figure in the publishing world of the late 19th-century "Gospel Song" era. He edited or published approximately 25 songbooks, collaborating with nearly all the major musical names of his day, including William J. Kirkpatrick and John Sweney. He is perhaps most famous for writing the music and lyrics to the enduring hymn "The Haven of Rest," inspired by his early interest in navigation. His music was characterized by its ability to provide spiritual comfort to a nation recovering from civil strife. Gilmour's long life of service came to an abrupt end in 1920 following a tragic buggy accident in Delair, New Jersey.