Monkland and Sir Henry Baker


Monkland parish church, where
Monkland parish church, where "The King of Love" was written

Everybody's favourite psalm is number 23, "The Lord is My Shepherd", so it is hardly surprising that pious poets have tried their hand at turning it into a hymn. The best known is probably "The Lord's My Shepherd" sung to the tune Crimond, but some claim that the Rev Sir Henry Williams Baker's effort, "The King of Love my Shepherd is" is even better, at least as far as the words are concerned.

I love Crimond, but my wife and I also like Baker's effort, so much so that we had it as one of the hymns at our wedding. It was a delight, therefore, to recently visit the place where the hymn was written and to discover a little more about its author and the way he is remembered in the parish church.