Background of the town The English town from which the hymns get their name, Olney in Buckinghamshire, was, at the time of first publication, a market town of about 2,000 people. Around 1,200 of these were employed in its lace-making industry. This was generally poorly paid, and Cowper is said to have described his neighbours as "the half-starved and ragged of the earth". The Olney Hymns were written primarily with these poor and under-educated people in mind.
Background of the town The English town from which the hymns get their name, Olney in Buckinghamshire was, at the time of first publication, a market town of about 2,000 people. Around 1200 of these were employed in its lace-making industry. This was generally poorly paid, and Cowper is said to have described his neighbours as "the half-starved and ragged of the earth" T.he Olney Hym,ns were written primarily with these poor and under-educated people in mind