West, Robert Athow, an English-American Methodist layman, editor, and author, was born at Thetford, England, in 1809; came to this country in 1843; was the official reporter of the important and historic session 447 of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1844. Mr. West was a member of a committee of seven appointed by the General Conference of 1848 to prepare a standard edition of the hymn book which appeared later as Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1849. To this volume he contributed two hymns, one of which is that found in this collection. From 1846 to 1849 he edited the Columbia Magazine (New York). In 1858 he became editor of the New York Commercial Advertiser. He also published Sketches of Wesleyan Preachers, 1848, and A Father's Letters to His Daughter, 1865. He died at Georgetown, D. C., February 1, 1865.