William Orcutt Cushing

William Orcutt Cushing (31 December 1823 – 19 October 1902) was an American Unitarian minister and hymn writer from Hingham, Massachusetts.

Personal life Cushing was born in 1823 in Hingham to Unitarian parents. When he was a teenager and started to read The Bible alone, he became a follower of the Orthodox Christian school of thought. When he was 18, he stated that he felt that God wanted him to become a minister.

Cushing remained true to Christian principles throughout his life. He once gave all of his life savings of $1,000 (approximately $ in 2013) to a blind girl in order for her to receive an education.

Ministry Cushing started his training to become a Unitarian minister based along his parents' theology. His first posting as an ordained minister was to Searsburg, New York, west of Trumansburg. There he met his future wife, Hena, and they were married in 1854. In the same year, Cushing wrote his first hymn, "When he Cometh",

Cushing then later went on to minister in a number of locations around New York until 1870 when Hena died, requiring Cushing to return to Searsburg. Shortly afterwards, Cushing suffered from a "creeping paralysis" that caused him to lose his voice, requiring him to retire from the ministry after 27 years in it.

Death Cushing died on 19 October 1902 in Lisbon Center, New York. He was buried in the Jones Cemetery, near Searsburg.