From HymnWiki

Life

• 1762–1800 (this is based on the evidence below)
  • One source says he lived from 1762 to 1800 (of England)^[1], and another source verifies that he was born at this date^[2], while later Latter-day Saint sources say he was born in 1726^[3][4] and list no death date. Some sources cite 1805^[5] and 1820^[6][7] as dates of importance to him, somehow (they do not say what these dates are for).
  • A particularly interesting LDS source says the following: “The tune was composed by James Lucas, of whom little is known except that he lived in England in 1726 and composed the tune called "Lucas" in 1805.”^[8] There is doubt as to the accuracy of this statement, just as with the other information mentioned (he couldn't have written the song five years after his death; perhaps it was just first published in 1805).

Works

• Watch Night^[9]
  • This may be the same tune below, as it was used with Come, Let Us Anew, although it could be a different tune and perhaps the reason the tune Lucas is thought to be composed by him.
• Lucas
  • Modern sources generally say this tune is attributed to him, and not definitely his. Loads of old hymnals list him as being the composer, however, without additional notes.
• Swanwick
  • It should be noted here that one source says a John Lucas wrote a tune called Swanick^[10] (not Swanwick), which may or may not be the same tune.

References

1. ↑ The Story of the Tunes, 1890 (p. 208–209)
2. ↑ The Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church, 1911 (p. 460)
3. ↑ Stories of Our Mormon Hymns, 1963 (p. 25)
4. ↑ Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985 (no. 217)
5. ↑ The Methodist Hymnal, 1905 (p. 551)
6. ↑ Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church: With Tunes, 1878 (p. 456)
7. ↑ Cyberhymnal article on James Lucas
8. ↑ Stories of Latter Day Saint Hymns Their Authors and Composers, 1939 (p. 148)
9. ↑ The Story of the Tunes, 1890 (p. 208–209)
10. ↑ Catalogue of Manuscript Music in the British Museum, 1906 (p. 188)