My Village Home

[Jose Oranto]

Chris, my apologies if I didn't set this thread in the right place, please feel free to move it.


The Daily News, Sep 10, 1888

"The excitement has been intense. The house and the mortuary were besieged by people, and it is said that during a part of Saturday people flocked in great numbers to see the blood stained spot in the yard, paying a penny each. In the Whitechapel road 'Lines on the Terrible Tragedy' were being sold, and men with the verses round their hats were singing them to the tune of "My Village Home."


In a previous unrelated thread, I asked what the melody of "My Village Home" was about. Now, after Simon Wood passed me this information, I thought it would be interesting to share it in its own thread. I haven't figured out what the melody is yet, but after finding out this, it shouldn't be 'impossible' to find it.

There is a reference to this song in 'A Handbook for Attendants on the Insane: the autobiography of Jack the Ripper as revealed to Clanash Farjeon'. Clanash Farjeon. 2003.

[Jose Oranto]

Today Simon provided me with the original song... but no tune yet

http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/sea...y+village+home

W. S. FORTEY, Printer and Publisher, 2 & 3, Monmouth Court, Seven Dials, London.

My village home, my village home,
How dear thou art to me,
Tho' many years have passed away,
Since last I quitted thee;
The hills and dales are green as then,
The lark sings just as gay,
But those I loved are changed and gone,
For ever passed away.

The village church—the village church,
I see it 'mid the trees,
Again I hear its merry bells,
Upon the passing breeze:
The valley green,—the silver brook,
Are all loved by me,
But those I prize above them all,
I never more shall see.

The lowly roof—the lowly roof,
Among the clustered trees,
Where parent kind, oft bid me pray
In secret on my knees:
My schoolmates are all changed to men,
Are all loved by me,
And the teacher rests in silence,
Beneath the spreading tree.