Joseph M. Scriven

Joseph Medlicott Scriven was a 19th‑century Irish‑born Canadian poet and hymn writer, best known for authoring the Christian hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” He was born on September 10, 1819, in Banbridge, County Down, Ireland, and was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Associated with the Plymouth Brethren, Scriven emigrated to Canada in 1845.

Once in Canada, Scriven lived a quiet life of service, often performing manual labor for the poor and elderly. In 1855, he wrote the poem that would later become the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” originally as a private comfort for his mother. The hymn was published and eventually became widely sung in Christian congregations.

In 1869, Scriven published a collection of 115 hymns and verses. He died on August 10, 1886, in Bewdley, Ontario, Canada, leaving behind a legacy of humble faith reflected in his poetry.