JENNINGS, Francis, hymnologist, born at Melksham, Wiltshire, England, 3 November, 1808. His father, William, was in the cloth trade, and afterward in the British army. Until Francis was seven years old he attended "a dame's school," and he was then put to work in a cloth-factory and a rope-yard. At last he was employed by a physician and learned to write. In 1842 he came to the United States and settled in Philadelphia. He has become one of the most thorough hymnologists in America. In 1871 the "Baptist Hymn-Book "was published, and he prepared for it a biographical index, giving the names, dates of birth, and death of the authors and their birthplaces, and also the time when the hymns were first printed. His first collection of hymn-books, numbering 300 volumes, belongs to the Baptist publication society; his second, of 600 volumes, he gave to the Baptist historical society. Besides numerous contributions to various papers and magazines, he wrote "Hymns, and other Poems" (Philadelphia, 1864).