Henry Burstow

Henry Burstow, 1826-1916, Sussex singer and bellringer. Collected by Lucy Broadwood and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

He was born on 11th December 1826 at 34 The Bishopric, Horsham, West Sussex, the second youngest of nine children. His father William Burstow (born 1781) worked as a clay tobacco-pipe maker, assisted by his wife Ellen (died 1857). The Bishopric, commonly known as “The Rookery”, was the poorest and roughest part of Horsham, and the Burstow home served, in Henry’s own words, as “‘factory’, dwelling house and shop” (Reminiscences p9). A shoemaker for all of his working life, Burstow’s fame rests principally upon his singing: the size of his repertoire, and his importance to the late nineteenth / early twentieth century English folksong revival. We know more about his life than that of the average nineteenth century artisan through the writings of folksong collector Lucy Broadwood, and his own “Reminiscences of Horsham”, put together and brought into print by Horsham local historian William Albery.

Burstow began to attend the infant school run by a Miss Sayers in the Bishopric “almost as soon as I could toddle” (Reminiscences p22),, with his first year’s fees paid for by a generous Quaker, Mr Pollard. He subsequently attended the Horsham British Schools, the Church School (from 1834) and Collyer’s Free School (1838-1840).

In 1840 he was apprenticed to Jim Vaughan to learn the boot and shoemaking trade. This was an important local industry which employed forty to fifty men, “good hard-workers and sound beer-drinkers to a man” (Reminiscences p23). For the first year Burstow worked for no pay. In the second he earned two shillings a week, and this rose by one shilling a week at the end of each year that he spent in apprenticeship. After spending around ten years with Vaughan, he went to work for Mr Gilburd, with whom he stayed until 1880, making mainly women’s boots at one shilling and sixpence a pair. Burstow records that on average he earned fifteen shillings a week, for a week’s work of sixty to seventy hours. He never earned more than nineteen shillings and sixpence - and this in a week when he made thirteen pairs of boots, working every available hour.

Henry Burstow married Elizabeth Pratt (1833 - 1909), the daughter of a Horsham gardener, in 1855. On his wedding day Burstow rang peals “all day long” (Remiscences p102) in company with seven other shoemakers, including the Warnham musician and parish clerk Michael Turner.

Burstow took up bellringing soon after he was apprenticed, at the instigation of John Vaughan, his master’s father, who was Sexton and head bellringer (and who paid his three shilling entrance fee). Bell-ringing became one of his chief pursuits, which he pursued until very late in life. Burstow regretted that when he joined the belfry the Horsham ringers had neither the skill nor the inclination to recreate the change-ringing feats of their late eighteenth century predecessors. However Burstow made the acquaintance of ringers at other parishes - principally Warnham and Newdigate - and was able to develop his own skills. He became well-known locally as a ringer, and in the 1860’s Horsham again became a place where change-ringing records were set.

Burstow rang in 55 Sussex, Surrey and Kent churches, and taught in 15 of these. Both ringing and teaching brought in welcome supplementary income, but they fulfilled primarily a social function. He recalls that at one time he would walk the eight miles to Newdigate every Saturday evening, ring for around three hours, then “adjourn to the ‘Six Bells’ Public House for a jollification, drinking and smoking and song singing in turn” (Reminiscences p99) - although it is worth noting that Burstow himself neither smoked nor drank. Leaving home after midnight he would then walk back to Horsham, returning home between two and three o’clock.

In an age when singing and music-making were very much a part of everyday life, Burstow was recognised within his community as a singer of note. He kept a list (reprinted in “Reminiscences”) of 420 songs which he knew by heart. Of these he had learned 84 from his father, who himself knew some 200 songs, and some from his mother. Burstow records the names and occupations of other men from whom he learned songs: some were learned from fellow workers or bellringers, some at “Country Wills” in the taprooms of local public houses - the words often exchanged for a pint of beer - while others came from ballad sheets bought at fairs.

In 1892-93 he lent his list of songs to Lucy Broadwood. In common with other collectors of the period she had strong preconceptions as to what was worth preserving, and she selected the 50 or 60 songs from the list which she considered to be “of the traditional ballad type” (English Traditional Songs and Carols p xi). Burstow visited Broadwood’s home at Lyne near Rusper and she collected 46 songs from him in all (in practice Broadwood, or the Horsham organist Herbert Buttifant, noted down the tune, while Burstow would write out the words and send them on to her). Subsequently more of Burstow’s songs were noted by Ralph Vaughan Williams, who lived at Leith Hill Place in Surrey (31 songs collected between 1903 and 1907) and W.H.Gill (a small number in 1911). Many of these were published in books such as Broadwood’s “English Traditional Songs and Carols” and in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society. Singers from Sussex provided a disproportionately large number of items in the early Journals, and of these 118 titles Burstow was the source of 31. It is ironic, however, that the collectors’ romantic vision of illiterate singers living in rural isolation simply did not fit the facts of Burstow’s life.

In 1907 Vaughan Williams phonographed two songs from Burstow. Unfortunately these recordings are now lost, but Lucy Broadwood published a full transcription of one, “Bristol Town” (English Traditional Songs and Carols p114-115), which illustrates the traditional singer’s ability to adapt a song’s tune and phrasing verse by verse.

While Burstow was feted by the pioneers of the folksong revival, he and his wife faced severe financial hardship. In 1907 they were in danger of being sent to the Workhouse: with no children to support them, their sole income came from Parish Relief, a small sum from sub-letting part of their cottage, and gifts from old friends and bellringers (even though Burstow was now too old to ring regularly). A jeweller, Jury Cramp, opened a subscription to provide the Burstows with a lump sum, while saddler William Albery organised a fund from which they could receive a pension of ten shillings a week. Albery had first met Burstow when they were choirboy and head bellringer respectively. Albery’s interest in local history had later led him to befriend the old man, and he now hit upon the idea of a history of Horsham - based upon Burstow’s personal and family memories, but expanded by reference to other sources - as a way of helping him financially. It became apparent that Burstow might not live to see the publication of a major work, so Albery scaled down his plans and arranged for the publication of “Reminiscences” in 1911. Two impressions - of five hundred and four hundred - were printed, and after the deduction of costs all income went to Burstow.

The book’s title is apt: it is neither a formal history of the town nor an autobiography (written throughout in Burstow’s own words, Albery’s name appears nowhere in the work). Its importance is in the picture it presents of small town life through the eyes of a working man. Burstow tells us of the hardships of everyday life, of political events (notably the passing of the 1832 Reform Bill, and the corruption and disorder surrounding elections), and of features of the traditional calendar - May Day, November 5th, and St Crispin Day when Horsham performed its own version of “Rough Music”. The book is also an extremely rare example of a traditional singer’s words and thoughts being preserved in print, providing important details on how songs were transmitted, and the social context of music-making.

Saved from the Workhouse, Burstow seems to have become something of a local celebrity. He was invited to sing in front of a large audience at a silver band concert in the Kings Head Assembly Room in 1908, while articles on Burstow began to appear in local newspapers and national magazines. These focussed on his singing, his bellringing, his prodigious memory and fascination with figures, and even his atheism. A religious and political freethinker, convinced of the truth of Darwinism and not inclined to conceal his beliefs, Burstow encountered some prejudice - indeed some gave his beliefs as a reason for not contributing to the funds set up to relieve his financial distress. However the Horsham clergy generally accepted his candidly-expressed views - “I fetch ‘em in, and I leaves you to drive ‘em away” the enthusiastic bellringer is reported to have told one vicar (quoted in Reminiscences p xv) - and the Unitarian Albery was able to persuade the Free Church Society to sponsor the publication of “Reminiscences”.

Burstow died on 30th January 1916 at his home in Spencer’s Road, Horsham and was buried on 4th February at Hill’s Cemetery; several Sussex newspapers carried fairly substantial obituaries. He had lived all his life in the town - the first 42 years in the Bishopric - spending only six nights away from home. The memorial card circulated to his friends bore an epitaph that he had written himself:

'In ringing and singing I took great delight,

And keeping good company by day and by night;

Many an hour the bell I have tolled,

And now I am dead may the Lord receive my soul.'

Burstow was undoubtedly an exceptional character, and an important figure within his community. However it is largely through good fortune that we know as much as we do about the man - factors such as his literacy, his passion for maintaining lists and records of events in his notebooks, the fact that he came to the attention of two important locally-resident folksong collectors, the interest and commitment of Albery, his longevity.

Henry Burstow's repertoire

1 Boney's Farewell to Paris
*2 Boney in St. Helena
*3 Boney's Lamentation
4 Deeds of Napoleon
5 Dream of Napoleon
*6 The Grand Conversation of Napoleon
7 The Soldier's Dream
8 The Soldier's Tear
9 The tired Soldier
10 The poor worn out Soldier
11 The Old Soldier's Daughter
*12 The Old Deserter
13 The New Deserter
*14 Stinson, the Deserter
15 The Sailor's Dream
*16 Mary's Dream
17 The Wife's Dream
18 The Husband's Dream
19 I had a Dream
*20 The Battle of Waterloo
*21 The Battle of Barrosa
*22 The Battle of America
23 The Standard Bearer
24 Up with the standard of England
25 Mother, is the battle o'er?
26 The answer to it
*27 The Wounded Hussar
*28 Allen's Return from the Wars
29 The Rose of Allendale
30 The Rose of Britain's Isle
31 She wore a Wreath of Roses
32 Ben Bolt
33 Ben Bolt's Reply
34 Tom Bowling
*35 Tom Hillyard
*36 Tom Tough
*37 Will Watch
38 Harry Hawser
*39 Paul Jones
40 John William Marchant
41 Gibson, Wilson, and Johnson
42 Gilderoy
*43 Auld Robin Gray
44 Answer to ditto
45 Barney A vouring
46 Joe the Marine
47 John Lawrence
48 Ditto second part
*49 Larry O' Gaff
50 Beautiful Kitty
51 Kathleen Mavourneen
52 Sarah had a little Lamb
53 Helen Lorraine
54 My Helen is the Fairest Flower
55 Dear Charlotte when the Sun is Set
*56 Alice Gray
57 Fanny Gray
58 Nelly Gray
59 Mrs. Myrtle
60 Grace Darling
61 Birth of Crazy Jane
62 Crazy Jane
63 Death of Crazy Jane
64 Jeannette and Jeannot
65 The Answer
66 Pretty Phœbe
67 Pretty Susan, the Pride of Kildare
68 Annie Laurie
69 Bristol Town
70 Gentle Annie
*71 I am leaving Thee in sorrow, Annie
72 Lost Rosabel
73 Minnie
74 Little Nell
75 Mary of Argyle
76 Mary Blane
*77 Mary was a Beauty
*78 Sally, Sally one Day
79 Poor Uncle Tom
80 Uncle Ned
81 Green Mossy Banks of the Lee
*82 Ye Banks and Braes of Bonny Doon
83 Ye Banks of Bonny Winding Tyne
*84 Banks of the Dee
85 Woodman Spare that Tree
86 Butcher Spare that Lamb
87 My good old Father's Mill
88 My good Old Father's Farm
89 The Old House at Home
90 Home, Sweet Home
91 The Rover
*92 Banks of Sweet Dundee
93 The Star of Glengarry
94 The Maid of Llangollen
95 We have Lived and Loved Together
96 My Skiff is by the Shore
*97 Adieu, my Native Land, Adieu
*98 Old England, what are you Coming to?
99 Britain's Revenge on the Death of Nelson
100 Madam, do you know my Trade is War?
101 How Sweet in the Woodland
102 Oh no, I never mention Her
103 The answer to it
*104 In Essex there lived a rich Farmer
105 Oh cease, awhile, ye Winds to blow
106 The Answer to it
*107 When I was Young and in my Prime
108 Yarmouth is a Pretty Town
109 It's of a Sailor now I write
110 The Lass of Brighton Town
111 Polly's Love, or the Cruel Ship's Carpenter
112 Rosetta and the Plough Boy
*113 The Old Man and his three Daughters
*114 Flora, the Unkind Shepherdess
115 Our Captain calls all Hands
116 Isle of Beauty, fare Thee well
117 Wealthy Farmer's Son
118 The Constant Farmer's Son
119 I will be a Gipsy
120 The Gipsy's Tent
121 Fitzgerald's Tent
122 Jervis' Tent
123 The Irish Emigrant
124 The Answer to it
*125 Lango Lee
*126 Exile of Erin
127 Leather Breeches
128 Miser Grimes
129 One Night I went to meet Her
130 Old Gray Mare
*131 Mark and John Peteroe
132 Old Dog Tray
133 Poor Black Bess
134 Bonny Black Bess
*135 Bonny Moon
*136 The Storm
137 The Minute Gun at Sea
138 The Female Smuggler
139 Highland Mary
140 My Highland Home
*141 'Ere around the Huge Oak
142 The Oak Table
143 A Song to the Oak
144 The Effects of Love
*145 The Green Hills of Tyrol
146 Cabbage Green
*147 Belfast Mountains
148 A Week's Matrimony
149 Umbrella Courtship
*150 The Croppy Boy
151 The Sailor's Return
152 The Lovers' Parting
153 New York Street
*154 Plato's Advice
155 Dulce Domum
*156 Through Moorfields
*157 On Gosport Beach
*158 The Gallant Poachers
159 The Gallant Sailor
160 Creeping Jane
161 Death and the Lady
162 The Scarlet Flower
*163 The Post Captain
*164 The Cabin Boy
165 Gooseberry Wine
*166 Travel the Country Round
*167 The Age of Man
168 The Sailor Boy's Good-bye
169 Angel's Whisper
*170 Spare a Halfpenny
171 Some love to Roam
172 The Blackbird
173 The Woodpecker
174 Our Bessie was a Sailor's Bride
175 As I was Walking one Morning by Chance
176 The Salt Sea
177 The Pitcher
178 The Haymakers
179 The Marble Halls
*180 The Sheffield Apprentice
*181 The London Apprentice
182 The Fairy Tempter
183 After Roving Many Years
184 All's Well
185 Annie Lisle
186 The Plough Boy
187 Night and Morn
188 O Lovely Night
189 The Little Town Boy
*190 Robin Hood and the Pedlar
*191 Past Ten o'clock
*192 The Cobbler
193 The Kiss dear Maid
194 The Irish Girl's Lament
195 The Boyhood Days
*196 The Galley Slave
197 Rosemary Lane
198 In a Cottage near a Wood
199 You Combers All
200 The Young Jockey
201 Little Cupid
202 The last Rose of Summer
203 Four and Nine
204 The Tarry Sailor
205 The Bridal Ring
*206 Banstead Down
*207 The Pilot
208 The Mariner's Grave
209 I have journeyed over many Lands
*210 Our Trade and Commerce
211 The Miller's three Sons
212 The Cavalier
213 Salisbury Plain
214 To all you Ladies now on Land
215 Nature's gay Days
216 The Demon of the Seas
217 He is gone to the Roaring Waves
*218 The Wild Rover
219 Vilikins and his Dinah
220 The Troubadour
221 Shells of the Ocean
222 Oh, come to the Ingleside
223 Give me but a Cot in the Valley I love
224 Cherry Cheek Polly for Me
*225 When the Morn stands on Tiptoe
226 The Cot where I was born
227 The Orphan Beggar Boy
228 Red, White, and Blue
*229 The Cottager's Daughter
230 Old Folks at Home
231 The Convict's Lamentation
232 Butter, Cheese, and all
233 With all Thy Faults I love Thee still
234 Wait for the Waggon
235 Oh Willie, we have missed you
236 Rouse! Brother, Rouse!
*237 Partant Pour la Syrie
238 I'll hang my Harp on a Willow Tree
239 The Heart and Head
240 The Basket of Eggs
241 Will you love Me then as now?
242 Dearest, then, I'll love Thee now
243 Old Towler
244 When other Lips
245 Pretty Wench
246 No Mistake in that
247 The Beggar Girl
248 My gentle Mother dear
249 Isle of France
250 The Little Bird
*251 The American Stranger
252 Quite Politely
253 Tally Ho
254 The Light of other Days
255 The Bay of Biscay
256 The Lass O'Gowry
257 Good News from Home
258 Beautiful Star
259 The Queen's Letter
260 Nothing More
261 Tempest of the Heart
262 The Rent Days
263 Abroad as I was Walking
264 Down in those Meadows
265 A Voice from the West
266 To the West
267 Ploughman turned Sailor
*268 Old Carrion Crow
269 The Sailor's Tear
270 Why did She leave Him
271 Prairie Child
272 Goodbye, Sweetheart
*273 Peggy Ban
*274 Duke of Marlborough
275 The Young Recruit
276 The Mistletoe Bough
277 The Song of the Brave
278 All among the Barley
279 The sons of Fingal
*280 The Blue Bells of Scotland
281 The Happy Land
282 The poor Fisherman's Boy
283 So early in the Morning
284 Hard Times come again no more
285 Farewell to the Mountains
286 Thou art gone from my Gaze
287 The Banks of the Blue Moselle
*288 The Months of the Year
289 The Blighted Flower
290 The Officer's Funeral
291 The Sailor's Grave
292 Cheer, Boys, Cheer
293 Ever of Thee
294 Kitty Terrall
295 Popping the Question
296 Aunt Sally
297 Jemima Brown
298 Maid of Judah
299 The Gipsy Girl
*300 Not a Drum was heard
*301 My old friend John
*302 Benbow
303 Down in the Cornfields
304 Meet Me by Moonlight alone
305 The Cottage by the Sea
306 You(r) lot is far above Me
*307 A Rose Tree in full Bearing
308 The Merry Mountain Horn
309 Fair Lily of the Vale
310 Kathleen O'Moore
311 Where there's a Will there's a Way
312 Oh Bitter and Cold was Night
313 Sweet Spirit, Hear mymy Prayer
314 Oh would I were a Bird
315 The Hazel Dell
316 Happy as a King
317 Father, dear Father, come Home with Me now
318 Beautiful Isle of the Sea
319 Maid of Erin's Isle
320 The Gleaner
321 The Bride's Farewell
*322 Harry Bluff
323 The Sicilian Maid
324 The Village-born Beauty
*325 Jenny Jones
326 Fifty years ago
327 Nothing shall she Draw, but Water from the Well
328 The Glasses sparkled on the Board
329 Norah, sweet Norah
330 My Friend and Pitcher
331 The Minstrel Boy
332 The Thorn
333 You Lads and Lasses gay
334 The Ivy Cottage
335 Water Cresses
336 Jimmy and Jenny
337 Banks of Sweet Primroses
338 Canadian Boat Song
339 False One, I love Thee still
340 William and Phyllis
341 The Grecian Bend
*342 Billy and Sally
343 After tasting many Beers
344 I'll meet Thee at the Lane
345 Wait for the Turn of the Tide
*346 The Heart that can feel for Another
347 The Captain and His Whiskers
348 Just before the Battle, Mother
349 Just after the Battle, Mother
350 I am come across the Seas
351 The Female Sailor
*352 Goddess Diana
353 Green Bushes
354 Bold Collins
354 Sir Roger Tichbourne
355 O leave not your Kathleen
357 Come back to Erin
358 The Gipsy's Warning
359 The Answer to Ditto
360 The Maiden's Reply
361 The Merry Bells of England
362 Far, Far Away
363 Broker, spare that Bed
364 Kitty Wells
365 Sunshine follows Rain
366 Write Me a Letter from Home
367 Dublin Bay
368 Belle Mahone
369 Molly Darling
370 Annie dear, I am called away
*371 In the Downhill of Life
372 When first in this Country a Stranger I came
373 As I was going to Birmingham Fair
374 Nancy Lee
375 Silver Threads Among the Gold
376 The Rat-catcher's Daughter
377 Ring the Bell, Watchman
378 Barrel of Beer
379 Go and leave Me if you wish
380 Put me in my Little Bed
*381 Auld Lang Syne
*382 As I wandered by the Brookside
*383 Make Little Mary his Bride
384 It was just against the Gate
385 Away with Melancholy
*386 Black Eyed Susan
387 Good Old Jeff
388 The Negro Boy
*389 With my Pot in one Hand
390 Nature's Holiday
391 Won't you buy my pretty Flowers
392 That dear old Stile
393 The Crocodile
*394 The American has Stole my true Love away
395 Begone Dull Care
396 The Harp that once through Tara's Hall
397 An Old Man came Courting Me
*398 The Holy Friar
399 Bread and Cheese and Kisses
400 There came to Enslave us a Landlord of Erin
401 The Garden Gate
402 Joan and the Miller
403 The Primrose Lass
404 Roger and Flora
405 The Devil He came to an Old Man at the Plough
406 The Brighton Chain Pier
407 The Second part ditto
408 Bonny Bunch of Roses
409 The North Fleet Weighed Anchor
410 The 18th June
411 Duke William
412 We wassailing Lads are Come
413 As I was walking one morning in May
414 Jerry Brown and the Black Jug
415 The Tavern
416 The Donkey
417 John Cladpole's Trip to London
418 Tom Cladpole's Trip to America
419 St. Nicholas' Church
420 Turnips are Round

* Titles marked with an asterisk are those Henry learned from his father, of which 'Travel the Country Round' was the first.

Bibliography

Henry Burstow. Reminiscences of Horsham, ed. A. E. Green and T. Wales (1975)

Henry Burstow. Reminiscences of Horsham: being Recollections of Henry Burstow The Celebrated Bellringer & Songsinger (1911) [1]

Andrew R. Turner, ‘Burstow, Henry (1826–1916)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [2]