Joseph Medlicott Scriven

Joseph Medlicott Scriven, (10 September 1819 – 10 August 1886) was an Irish-born Canadian poet, best known as the writer of the poem which became the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".

Birth and Death Data: Born Banbridge (town in County Down, Northern Ireland), Died August 10, 1886 (Port Hope (municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3143 10-in. 2/23/1901 What a friend we have in Jesus Christopher H. H. Booth Chimes lyricist  
Victor B-10598 10-in. 6/26/1911 What a friend we have in Jesus Mixed Quartet Mixed vocal quartet, unaccompanied lyricist  
Victor B-16930 10-in. 12/23/1915 What a friend we have in Jesus Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BVE-64258 10-in. 9/29/1930 What a friend we have in Jesus Marion Talley Female vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Victor BVE-83651 10-in. 7/27/1934 What a friend we have in Jesus Seth Parker Trio Mixed vocal trio, with organ lyricist  
Victor BS-056928 10-in. 10/17/1940 What a friend we have in Jesus Edward MacHugh ; William Meeder Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Victor E0VB-3591 10-in. 3/30/1950 What a friend we have in Jesus Dale Evans ; Roy Rogers Female-male vocal duet, with vocal ensemble and instrumental quartet lyricist  
Columbia 46136 10-in. 10/22/1915 What a friend we have in Jesus Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 79417 10-in. 9/15/1920 What a friend we have in Jesus Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia CO48057 10-in. 6/13/1952 What a friend we have in Jesus Betty Johnson Female vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
OKeh S-70221 10-in. October 1921 What a friend we have in Jesus Charles Hart Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
OKeh W80963 10-in. 6/2/1927 What a friend we have in Jesus Giddens Sisters Female vocal trio, with guitars lyricist  
Brunswick E22930-E22931 10-in. 5/4/1927 What a friend we have in Jesus Old Southern Sacred Singers Male vocal quartet, with organ lyricist  
Brunswick TC7152 10-in. 12/30/1930 What a friend we have in Jesus Lucille Sutton Female vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick SA2884 10-in. 11/3/1937 What a friend we have in Jesus Zeke Williams and his Rambling Cowboys String band, with male vocal trio and recitation lyricist  
Edison 7453 10-in. 7/19/1920 What a friend we have in Jesus Metropolitan Quartet Mixed vocal quartet, unaccompanied lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Scriven, Joseph Medlicott," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103828.

Scriven, Joseph Medlicott. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103828.

"Scriven, Joseph Medlicott." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103828

External Sources

Wikipedia: Joseph Medlicott Scriven

IMDb: Joseph Medlicott Scriven

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Scriven, Joseph Medlicott, 1819-1886 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82125115

Wikidata: Joseph Medlicott Scriven - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q705227

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/70281966

MusicBrainz: Joseph Medlicott Scriven - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e211e784-7367-463c-ba1d-c42c7ee7c9ef

Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/99042 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/99042

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