Hymns Ancient and Modern was a hymnal in common use within the Church of England. Over the years it has grown into a large family of hymnals.

          The idea for the hymn book first came about in 1858 when two clergymen met on a train. They discussed the need for a standardization of the hymn books in use throughout England and so the idea was born. They founded a board, called the Proprietors, who oversaw both the publication of the hymnal and the donation of the profits to appropriate charities, or to subsidise less wealthy parishes for the cost of the books.

          The first edition was published in 1861 by Novello and Co. So was the 1868 Appendix but negotiations were taking place which resulted in the whole publishing project being placed in the hands of William Clowes and Son later that same year. It was revised in 1875 by William Henry Monk to produce the second edition to which, fourteen years later in 1889, Charles Steggall added several supplementary hymns. In 1904 the new and revised edition was published, edited by Bertram Luard-Selby. Unfortunately people complained about the difference between this and its predecessors to such an extent that, in 1906, C. Steggall’s edition was republished as the old complete edition.

          In 1916 the old complete edition was republished for the last time with a second supplement by Sydney Nicholson. Six years later, in 1922, the standard edition was published, more strongly based on the old complete edition than the less popular new and revised edition. This also was edited by Nicholson, who was the musical editor until he died in 1947.