Sabine Baring-Gould 
 was born in Exeter in 1834 and died 90 years later in Lewtrenchard, West Devon.
He is best known for having written "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and as a popular novelist of his time.
In fact he published over 400 books, articles, sermons and other items.
He was Squire and Parson of the parish of Lewtrenchard and combined these responsibilities with his writing, his antiquarian studies and his collection of the folk songs of Devon and Cornwall.
It was the last of these that he regarded as his greatest achievement.

Sabine Baring-Gould

He published a number of these songs in his two collections
"Songs of the West" (1889) and "A Garland of Country Song" (1895)
as well as a number of other anthologies. He deposited a manuscript copy of 202 of his collected songs, together with his rough notes, with Plymouth City Library (the "Plymouth Manuscript").
Recently the "Personal Manuscript" containing over 650 songs and tunes has been rediscovered
in Baring-Gould's library which is now kept at Killerton House, near Exeter (a National Trust Property).
The library also contains a unique collection of chap-books and broadside ballads made by
Baring-Gould as well as annotated copies of his published collections.
Wren Trust has worked with Devon Libraries, the National Trust and the Baring-Gould Corporation to have the entire collection copied onto micro-film and made public through sets of micro-fiche.
Wren holds a Microfiche of the complete Baring-Gould song collection
650 Songs and tunes in total.