At the Commemoration Service each year of the London Orphan School (now Reed’s School) – so long situated in Watford – the children sang the hymn “Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us” which was written for them about 1820 by James Edmeston. He was an architect, who often visited the school. He was an architect and surveyor, Sir Gilbert Scott being one of his pupils. Edmeston, who wrote some 200 hymns, died on January 7, 1867, aged 75. 

[From the Watford Observer of January 11, 1946]

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