John Broadwood (song collector) facts for kids
John Broadwood (born May 13, 1798 – died January 26, 1864) was a very important person in English music history. He was the first person to collect and write down folk songs in England. Folk songs are traditional songs that have been passed down through generations, often by people singing them to each other.
His Life
John Broadwood was born in London in 1798. His father, James Shudi Broadwood, and his grandfather, John Broadwood, were famous piano makers. When John was young, his family moved to a home called Lyne House in Capel, Surrey.
In 1825, he married Charlotte King. John Broadwood was a clergyman, which means he was a leader in the church. He worked as a "Curate" (a type of church minister) in a place called Wiggonholt. He passed away at Lyne House in 1864.
His Important Book
John Broadwood is best known for a small book he published in 1843. It was first published without his name on it, but it's usually called Old English Songs. This book was very special because it was the first time anyone had seriously collected English traditional songs.
The book contained 16 folk songs. John Broadwood made sure the music was written down exactly as he heard people sing it. He also kept the words as original as possible, only changing them a little bit if they were hard to understand.
His niece, Lucy Broadwood, also collected songs and said that Old English Songs was the "first serious collection of English traditional songs that we possess." She said he insisted that the songs be written down exactly as they were sung. A famous composer named Ralph Vaughan Williams also said that John Broadwood should be honored for his work with English folk songs.
What the Book Was About
The title page of his book explained its purpose. It said the songs were "Old English Songs" sung by country people in Surrey and Sussex. John Broadwood collected them by listening to people sing them every Christmas. These people would go around to houses singing, which was called "Wassailing."
The book aimed to save these old songs from being forgotten. It wanted to show examples of real old English melodies. The music was written down exactly as it was sung. The words were kept in their original, simple form, with only small changes to make sense.
The Songs He Collected
Here are the 16 songs that John Broadwood collected in his book. Some of them have other names, and some have special numbers from folk song indexes:
- "The Moon Shines Bright" (702)
- "A Wassail, A Wassail" (209)
- "The Noble Lord"
- "Rosebuds in June" (812)
- "A Sweet Country Life" (2406)
- "The Ploughboy" ("The Jolly Ploughboy", "Come All You Jolly Ploughboys") (202)
- "The Privateer"
- "The Fourteenth of July" (980)
- "Gipsy Song"
- "The Husbandman" (873?)
- "The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington" (483) (Child Ballad No. 105)
- "The Poacher's Song" ("Thorny Moor Woods") (222)
- "In Lancashire"
- "Come Listen"
- "The Woodcutter" ("Harvest Supper Song") (310)
- "Lord Bateman" (40) (Child Ballad No. 53)
