The Oxford Book of Local Verses - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 019214149X ISBN 13: 9780192141491

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1987

Synopsis

This delightful anthology is a treasure-house of England's heritage of popular verse, written by long forgotten local poets whose surviving work enriches our understanding of local customs and attitudes in much the same way that 'local 'cooking' describes the flavor of a region.
Local verses have been perpetuated in a particular place sometimes through the oral tradition, also through local use as work-songs or seasonal celebrations, and, more tangibly, in the form of inscriptions and engravings, in stone, wood, glass or metal. This collection celebrates the largely anonymous but often inventive and gifted authors of the verses that appear preserved on village crosses, fountains, sundials, churches, house walls, bells, inn-signs, wells, caves and other monuments. It includes epitaphs, and also verses inscribed on moveable objects such as clocks and pottery, silverware and books. Country charms and weather rhymes, children's games and farming songs add to the variety of tone and style.
When a North of England football team reached the championships in 1936 a local poet put pen to paper to wish his team luck; an inmate at Millbank scratched a few terse lines about English prisons on the bottom of his dinner-can; a Kent gunner petitioned for his discharge papers in verse; a rhyme describing willow-pattern designs was inscribed on a piece of Staffordshire pottery: these and many more are among the 550 or so verses arranged under ten, mainly regional headings, covering the United Kingdom from South and South-West England to the Welsh Borders and the North.

About this title

About the Author

About the author:
John Holloway is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Cambridge where he was Professor of Modern English from 1972 to 1982. His publications include six volumes of poetry, as well as criticism.

Review

A North Wiltshire Dialect Song by John Yonge Akerman
Epitaph For Catherine Alsopp, Washerwoman, Hanged Herself by Catherine Alsopp
Written In Butler's Sermons by Matthew Arnold
Written In Emerson's Essays by Matthew Arnold
Sampler From The Fitzwilliam Museum: Early 18th Century by E. B.
The Will Of James Bigsby Of Manningtree, 1839 by James Bigsby
Lines To A Beautiful And Romantic Brook .. Tedstone Delamere by ? Booker
Drunken Barnaby by Richard Brathwaite
Whigs And Tories by William (1692-1774) Browne
Epitaph For James Smith by Robert Burns
Lines He Inscribed On A Window At Queensbury Arms, Scotland by Robert Burns
On A Staffordshire Figure Of Hudibras Drawing His Sword by Samuel (1612-1680) Butler
Epitaph For John Adams Of Southwell, Nottinghamshire by George Gordon Byron
Inscription On The Monument Of A Newfoundland Dog by George Gordon Byron
Verses Worked In Pins On A Pin-cushion by George Gordon Byron
Written In The Travellers Book Of The Macri Family At Athens by George Gordon Byron
Ode To Tobacco by Charles Stuart Calverley
A Sampler by Mary Cameron
Epitaph For Maria Wentworth by Thomas Carew
Coleridge's Epitaph For Himself, Written 9 November 1833 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Winter In Brighton by Edward James Mortimer Collins
A Sampler Verse Recorded In Cornwall; 9th Year Of Her Age by Elizabeth Cornish
Border Inscription On An Embroidery Of Pomona, Roman Goddess by ? Cory
An Epitaph by William Cowper
Inscription For A Stone Erected At Sowing Of A Grove Of Oaks by William Cowper
Contemporary Verses On The Flood Of 1792; Worcestershire by ? Crane
A Border Ballad by Crawhall [pseud.]
Marriage Verse; Carlisle by Salathiel Cross
A Dramatic Prologue For Oxford University Players by George Nathaniel Curzon
A Ballad In Memory Of Fishermen From Hull And Grimsby - 1899 by W. Delf
Poem by Thomas Deloney
Manliest Beauty by Charles Dibdin
Verses For A Copy Of Herrick's Poems by Henry Austin Dobson
Verse Written In Parish Register At Saltash, Cornwall, 1753 by Jewell Doidge
Rules For A Holy Life by George Doughty
Epitaph On Mrs. Margaret Paston, Of Barningham, In Norfolk by John Dryden
On Sir Palmes Fairborne's Tomb, In Westerminster Abbey by John Dryden
Deein Be Inches; A Dialect Poem by Joseph B. Eccles
On The Notorious Spendthrift Sir Andrew Noel, Of Brooke by Elizabeth I
Verses Written On A Shutter ... by Elizabeth I
The Converted Indian's Prayer; Sampler Verse, 1833 by Mary Eyre
The Ellesmere Pool Legendl Shropshire by Oswald Fielden
Verses On A Tree Split In A Storm; Yorkshire, 1863 by ? Ford
Silkstone, Yorkshire, And Dublin; A Comparison by John (1817-1897) Ford
A Sonnet On The Yorkshire Legend Of The Gabriel Ratchet by Henry Richard Vassall Fox
Scratched On A Window At Holland House, Kensington, 1811 by John Hookham Frere
An Epitaph On James Quin by David Garrick
An Anatomical Epitaph On An Invalid by William Goldwin
The Vicar Of Shiplake, On Tom Pidgeon His Gardener by James Granger
The Ten Commandments; Sampler Verse, 1734 by Dorothy Greame
Verses Written In Pocket-book With Wish . Inscribed On Grave by ? Grimaldi
Verses On The Springs At Bath by ? Groves
Verses On The 'low Fen-man' by Bill Hall
Inscriptions For A Peal Of Eight Bells; After A Restoration by Thomas Hardy
In A Manx Glen by Joseph Hawcroft
Inscription On A Stone Over Porch Door Of Vicerage by Robert Stephen Hawker
Epitaph For Sir Philip Sidney, At St. Paul's by Edward Herbert
Lord, How Can Man Preach Thy Eternal Word? by George Herbert
Charmes (1) by Robert Herrick
Charmes (2) by Robert Herrick
Charmes (3) by Robert Herrick
Charmes (4) by Robert Herrick
Epitaph For Sir Edward Giles And His Wife by Robert Herrick
The Spell; A Charme by Robert Herrick
Upon Prue, His Maid by Robert Herrick
An Account Of Harwich by Theodore Hook
Verses On A Window Of The Bush Inn, Carlisle by David Hume
Epitaph For Ned Allan, Weaver And Fisherman, Holystone by Robert (1916-) Hunter
The Wreck Of The Howe, 1931; A Ballad by Alfred Hutchinson
Lines Printed On A Toast List For Shakespeare Festival, Hull by Samuel (1709-1784) Johnson
Verse Inscribed In A Book In Newgate Prison by Alf Jones
The Barbary Ghost; Shropshire by Susan Jones
Epitaph For Salomon Pavey, Child Actor In Queen's Revels Co. by Ben Jonson
Inscription Over The Door At The Entrance Into The Apollo by Ben Jonson
On A Trencher Sent To William Noye Of Mawgan In Cornwall by Ben Jonson
On Elphi The Dwarf, Farndale, Yorkshire by J. L.
Verse Written In The Sand At Weston-super-mare by John Langhorne
In The Parish Register At Melverley, Shropshire, 1760 by John Lewis
A Musick Speech Delivered To The University, Cambridge, 1714 by Roger Long
The Kaleidoscope by W. H. M.
An Epigram On Hinchliff, Master Of Trinity ... by William Lort Mansel
A Verse From A Song, Once Painted On A Board At Twickenham by Theophile Julius Henry Marzials
Inscription For My Daughters' Hour-glass by John Luckey Mccreery
Lines Inscribed In A Presentation Copy Of His Poems, 1851 by George Meredith
Sonnet: 8. When The Assault Was Intended To The City by John Milton
A Will In Verse, Inscribed In Copy Of Memoirs, C. 1670 by Philip Monkton
Verse Written In The Sand At Weston-super-mare by Hannah More
Hampshire Bee-keeping Rhyme by Mother Goose
A Prologue For A Theatrical Performance By His Children by Francis Newbery
Sampler From The Fitzwilliam Museum: 1814 by Harriet Plastin
Verses Cast On A Bell For All Saints Church, Maldon, Essex by Henry Pleasant
Milton's Well, Near The Ey Brook, Gloucestershire by W. H. C. Plowden
Epitaph For One Who Would Not Be Buried In Westminster Abbey by Alexander Pope
Lines Written During A Great Snowstorm, Yorkshire, 1784 by ? Pratt
Verses Under A Portrait Of Thomas Britton, A Coal Merchant by Matthew Prior
On The Hermit William Of Lindholme; Hatfield, Yorkshire by Abraham De Pryme
Epigram On The Southampton Canal by Henry James Pye
An Inscription In St. Mary Overie, London by Francis Quarles
On A Window In The Pelican Inn, Newbury by James Quin
Scribbled On Wall Beside His Bed During Last Lucid Interval by George Radcliffe
The Author's Epitaph, Made By Himself [himselfe] by Walter Raleigh
The Nautilus And The Ammonite by G. F. Richardson
Sampler From The Fitzwilliam Museum: 1736 by Alice Ruddock
On A Match-box by Walter Scott
Epitaph For Himself; Coventry by Gervase Scrope
Verses On The Trades In Bromsgrove, 1851 by John Harris Scroxton
Verses On An Old Etching Of Nailshops, At Cradley by Frank Short
Verse For Bartholomew Fair by George Alexander Stevens
Underwoods: Book 1: 21. Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson
Verse Scratched On A Window Of The Yacht Inn At Chester by Jonathan Swift
Verses Wrote In A Lady's Ivory Table-book by Jonathan Swift
Verses by Robert Tannahill
Epitaph On Caxton, In St. Margaret's, Westminster by Alfred Tennyson
Sir John Franklin; On The Centotaph In Westminster Abbey by Alfred Tennyson
Lines Written In Richmond Park by James (1700-1748) Thomson
Epigram On George I's Gift Of Books To Cambridge by John Trapp
A 17th Century Epitaph, For Josias Shute, Giggleswick by Anonymous
Agricultural Customs In 1800; Lincolnshire by Anonymous
Agricultural Customs In 1900; Lincolnshire by Anonymous
The Alamode Or Ye Maidens Mode; Inscribed On A Dish by Anonymous
An Alehouse Sign At Troutbeck, Near Ambleside by Anonymous
Apple-growing And Cider-making; Devon by Anonymous
An 'apple-howling' Verse For New Year'e Eve; Sussex by Anonymous
As Tom Was A-walking by Anonymous
At Beddington, Surrey; 'his Name Was Greenhill' by Anonymous
At Darrington, Yorkshire; For Alexander Blair Of Aberdeen by Anonymous
A Ballad Against The Early Evictions To Clear Land For Sheep by Anonymous
Ballad On A Lincolnshire Champion, Found In Nottinghamshire by Anonymous
A Ballas Upon The Monks Of Newark Priory Near The River Wey by Anonymous
Beauchamp Tower, Tower Of London; Epitaph For A Goldfinch by Anonymous
Bell Inscriptions At St. Helen's Church, Worcester (1706-12) by Anonymous
A Bell Ryhme; Derbyshire by Anonymous
A Berkshire Rhyme by Anonymous
A Berwickshire Rainbow Rhyme by Anonymous
The Blessed Conscience; Framed Papers At Hoghton Towers by Anonymous
The Boar's Had Song, The Queen's College, Oxford by Anonymous
A Brighton Fishermen's Song At Net-casting (1) by Anonymous
A Broadside Posted In Country Inn In Gloucestershire, 1655 by Anonymous
By The Rector Of Marhull, Dorset, For His Clerk John Warren by Anonymous
Capt. John Millet Mariner; In The Church Of St. Bartholomew by Anonymous
A Cattin And Clementing Song (1) by Anonymous
A Cattlin And Clementing Song (2) by Anonymous
Characteristics Of The Counties, By A Shropshire Poet by Anonymous
A Charm Again 'udern Ill'; East Cornwall by Anonymous
A Charm Against Bleeding, Worcestershire Version by Anonymous
A Charm Against Cramp; Northern Counties Of England by Anonymous
Charm Against Illnesses In General; Cambridgeshire Fenland by Anonymous
A Charm For A Sprain; Devon by Anonymous
A Charm For A Thorn; Cornwall by Anonymous
A Charm For Cutting An Elder Tree; Lincolnshire by Anonymous
A Charm To Exorcize Spirits; Yorkshire by Anonymous
A Children's Christmas Eve Carol From Eckington, Derbyshire by Anonymous
A Children's Christmas Wassail Song From Huddersfield by Anonymous
A Children's Game Song From Wrothham, Kent by Anonymous
A Children's Game Song, Middlesex by Anonymous
Children's Game Song; Known At Berrington, Shropshire by Anonymous
Children's Lace-making Song Or Tell From Bedfordshire by Anonymous
Children's Lace-making Song Or Tell From Bedfordshire by Anonymous
Children's Lace-making Song Or Tell: The Fox by Anonymous
Closing Lines Of Epitaph For Nicholas Greenhill, Reector by Anonymous
A Cockle Woman; Verses On Mrs. Mary Blake, D. 1841 by Anonymous
'collop Monday'; A Song From The Boys Of Salisbury by Anonymous
A Common Tavern Notice by Anonymous
Cooking Directions, Recorded As Attached To Swans Sold by Anonymous
Cornish Weather Rhyme (1) by Anonymous
Cornish Weather Rhyme (2) by Anonymous
Cornish Weather Rhyme (3) by Anonymous
Crayford, Kent; Epitaph For Peter Snell, Parish Clerk by Anonymous
A Darlington Rhyme by Anonymous
Dedicatory Sonnet In The Photograph Album .. Glaziers' Co. by Anonymous
A Derbyshire Rhyme On Local Places by Anonymous
A Dialogue .. Old Black Horse At Charing Cross And New One by Anonymous
The Dorset Nurse And 'boney'; A Dorset Lullaby by Anonymous
A Dragon-fly ('snake-stanger') Song From The Isle Of Wight by Anonymous
East Anglican Martyrs by Anonymous
An Eighteenth-century Sampler by Anonymous
Entry In The Marriage Register, Snelland, Lincolnshire, 1671 by Anonymous
An Epigram On The Marriage Of Corpus Christi College by Anonymous
An Epigram On The Statue Of Minerva Outside Athenaeum Club by Anonymous
An Epitaph As Bideford, Devon by Anonymous
An Epitaph At Speen, Berkshire by Anonymous
Epitaph For A Potter by Anonymous
Epitaph For A Visitor's Dog .. At Tunbridge Wells, 1702 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Alice Bateman, D. 1637, Leaving Three Daughters by Anonymous
Epitaph For Amos Street, Huntsman, D. 1777, Birstall by Anonymous
Epitaph For Bridget Granville, D. 1627; In Bristol Cathedral by Anonymous
Epitaph For Dolly Pentreath, Last Native Speaker Of Cornish by Anonymous
Epitaph For Dr. Mcculloch; Bothwell Churchyard, Lanarkshire by Anonymous
Epitaph For Elizabeth Barkham (d.1797); Shropshire by Anonymous
Epitaph For Isabell Chiverton, D. 1631; Quethiock, Cornwall by Anonymous
Epitaph For John Holden, D. 1844 Aged 5; Worcestershire by Anonymous
Epitaph For John Knott Of Sheffield by Anonymous
Epitaph For John Warren, Builder, Died Rebuilding .. 1608 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Mary Bolton, D. 1882, Aged 7; Lancashire by Anonymous
Epitaph For Mary Girling, D. 1771; Little Welnetham, Suffolk by Anonymous
Epitaph For Mary, Daughter Of Sir Peter Courtney, D. 1655 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Mrs. Pakington, D. 1667; Chaddesley Corbett by Anonymous
Epitaph For Philip Roe, Parish Clerk, D. 1815; Bakewell by Anonymous
Epitaph For Rebecca Rogers, Folkstone, 1688 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Rev. Edward Skepton, D. 1630; Alderley, Cheshire by Anonymous
Epitaph For Richard Colsborne, 1715; Woodstock by Anonymous
Epitaph For Robert Preston, Drawer At The Boar's Head Tavern by Anonymous
Epitaph For Sarah Gundry, D. 1807 by Anonymous
Epitaph For The First Lord Wharton (d. 1568); Westmorland by Anonymous
Epitaph For The Highwayman Claude Duval by Anonymous
Epitaph For The Son Of The 4th Lord Wharton, D. 1642 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Thomas Johnson, Huntsman, D. 1774 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Thomas Mannaley, Stabbed At Bromsgrove, 1819 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Thomas Oldfied (old Dummy), D. 1872 by Anonymous
Epitaph For Thomas Scaife, A Railway Engineer, D. 1822 by Anonymous
Epitaph For William Burnett, D. 1760 by Anonymous
An Epitaph Formerly In Snodland Church, Kent by Anonymous
An Epitaph In A Yorkshire Churchyard by Anonymous
An Epitaph In Abenhall (or Abinghall) Churchyard by Anonymous
Epitaph In Dinton Churchyard For Samuel Payne, D. 1809 by Anonymous
Epitaph In Holm Cultram Abbey, Cumberland by Anonymous
Epitaph In Holy Trinity Church For Richard Phillpots, D.1766 by Anonymous
Epitaph In Holy Trinity Church For Richard Phillpo...

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 019214149X
• ISBN 13: 9780192141491
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 376
• Editor: Holloway John