Career
Silas Jones Vail was born on October 16, 1818 at Southold, New New York He was a hatter by trade, but a musician and composer by passion, notable for writing hymns, some of which were set to music by Mistress Albert Smith. Phillip Phillips published his first book of hymns.
He was also associated with famous hymnists such as Fanny J. Crosby, Stephen Foster and William Sherwin.
Publications include The Athenaeum Collection (1863) and Songs of Grace and Glory (1874). Vail died in Brooklyn, New York on May 20, 1883.
