Hanby biography

American composer (1833–1867)

Benjamin Russell (or Russel)^[1]Hanby (July 22, 1833 – March 16, 1867) was an American composer, educator, pastor, and abolitionist.

He is known for composing approximately 80 songs and hymns, most notably "Darling Nelly Gray" and the Christmas songs "Up on the Housetop", and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas".^{[citation needed]}

Life and legacy

Hanby was born in Rushville, Ohio, on July 22, 1833.^[2] In 1849, he moved to Westerville to enroll at Otterbein University,^[3] and was later involved in the Underground Railroad with his father Bishop William Hanby.^{[citation needed]}

In 1856, at what is now the national historic site the Hanby House,^[4] Hanby composed the popular anti-slavery ballad "Darling Nelly Gray",^[5] based on his encounter with Joseph Selby, a runaway slave from Kentucky who had died in the Hanbys' Rushville home.^&#