Thomas Haynes Bayly

2023-09-23T23:30:17Z

2001:5B0:51D9:BFD8:7D54:8451:F6:B8D4: Corrected the title of Bayly's three-volume series.

{{Short description|English poet, songwriter, dramatist and writer}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{one source|date=February 2022}}
{{more footnotes|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox person
|name = Thomas Haynes Bayly
|image = Portrait of Thomas Haynes Bayly.jpg
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1797|10|13}}
|birth_place = [[Bath, Somerset]], [[United Kingdom]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1839|4|22|1797|10|13}}
|nationality = English
|occupation = poet, songwriter, dramatist
}}
'''Thomas Haynes Bayly''' (13 October 1797 – 22 April 1839) was an English poet, songwriter, dramatist and writer.

==Life==
Bayly was born in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] on 13 October 1797, the only child of Nathaniel Bayly, an influential citizen of Bath: he was related through his mother to the Earls of [[Earl of Stamford|Stamford]]{{which?|date=February 2022}} and [[Earl of Warrington|Warrington]]{{which?|date=February 2022}} and the [[Baron le Despencer|Baroness le Despencer]].{{which?|date=February 2022}} He displayed a talent for verse from a young age, and in his eighth year was found dramatising a tale out of one of his story-books. He attended [[Winchester School]], where he produced a weekly newspaper which recorded the proceedings of the master and pupils in the school. At the age of 17 he began working at his father's office for the purpose of studying the law, but soon devoted himself to writing humorous articles for the public journals, and produced a small volume entitled ''Rough Sketches of Bath''. He studied at [[St Mary Hall, Oxford]] with the intention of joining the church, but it is reported that "he did not apply himself to the pursuit of academical honours" and left university after three years. Bayly travelled in [[Scotland]], and afterwards visited [[Dublin]], where he distinguished himself in private theatricals and achieved his earliest successes as a ballad writer.{{sfn|Smith|1885}}

Bayly returned to London in January 1824 and married the daughter of Mr. Benjamin Hayes, of Marble Hill, [[County Cork]] in 1826. The profits from his literary works were considerable, and his income was increased by his wife's dowry.

While the young couple were staying in [[Bitterne]], Hampshire, Bayly wrote the song "I'd Be a Butterfly", which became immediately popular. Not long afterwards he produced a three-volume novel, ''The Aylmers''; a second tale, ''A Legend of [[Killarney]]'', written during a visit to that part of Ireland; and numerous songs and ballads, which appeared in two volumes, named respectively ''Loves of the Butterflies'' and ''Songs of the Old Château''.{{sfn|Smith|1885}}

After relocating from Bath to London, Bayly dedicated his time to writing ballads and pieces for the stage. The play ''Perfection'', written during a journey by stagecoach from Bath to London and now regarded as his best dramatic work, was declined by many theatrical managers, but ultimately [[Lucia Elizabeth Vestris|Madame Vestris]] produced it and appeared in it. [[Lord Chesterfield]],{{which?|date=February 2022}} who was present on the first night, declared that he never saw a better farce. The play became a great favourite at private theatricals, and on one occasion it was produced with a cast including the [[Marquess of Londonderry|Marchioness of Londonderry]]{{which?|date=February 2022}} and [[Lord Castlereagh]].{{which?|date=February 2022}}{{sfn|Smith|1885}}

By 1831 Bayly and his wife were experiencing financial difficulties. He had invested his wife's dowry in coal mines, which proved unproductive. The agent who managed Mrs. Bayly's property in Ireland failed to provide satisfactory accounts. A replacement agent ultimately made the property pay, but these financial difficulties, combined with poor physical health, had a detrimental effect on Bayly's creativity. During a trip to France to convalesce, he was able to recover sufficiently to write the poem ''The Bridesmaid'', which drew a flattering letter from Sir [[Robert Peel]].

Bayly regained his productivity, and in a short time he wrote thirty-six dramatic pieces. However, By 1837 he had begun to suffer from a range of serious medical conditions. His novel ''Weeds of Witchery'', published that year, led a French critic to describe him as the [[Anacreon]] of English romance. In the same year he wrote ''Kindness in Women'', a three-volume collection consisting of a double novel ''Kate Leslie'' and an independent tale ''David Dumps, Or, The Budget of Blunders''. They were published by [[Richard Bentley]]. He developed [[dropsy]] and [[jaundice]], and he died on 22 April 1839. He was buried at [[Cheltenham]], his epitaph being written by his friend [[Theodore Hook]].{{sfn|Smith|1885}} Bayly played the harmonica, guitar, and banjo.

==Songs==
[[File:Isle of Beauty.mid|thumb|''Isle of Beauty, Fare Thee Well!'']]
* "Gaily the Troubadour Touched his Guitar"
* "I'd Be a Butterfly"
* "I'll Hang my Harp on a Willow Tree"
* "Isle of Beauty, Fare Thee Well!"
* [[Legend of the Mistletoe Bough|"The Mistletoe Bough"]]
* "Oh, No! We Never Mention Her"
* "Oh, Pilot! 'tis a Fearful Night"
* "The Old House at Home"
* "She Wore a Wreath of Roses"
* "We Met, 'twas in a Crowd"
* "[[Long, Long Ago]]"

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|author=Thomas Haynes Bayly|title=Songs and Ballads, Grave and Gay|url=https://archive.org/details/songsandballads00baylgoog|year=1844|publisher=Carey and Hart}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{DNB|wstitle=Bayly, Thomas Haynes |first=George Barnett |last=Smith|volume=3}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Bayly, Thomas Haynes}}
*{{Cite SBDEL|wstitle=Bayly, Thomas Haynes}}
*{{cite ODNB|first=John Russell|last= Stephens|title=Bayly, Nathaniel Thomas Haynes (1797–1839)|id=1768}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.contemplator.com/england/longago.html Short bio of the composer along with MIDI & lyrics for ''Long, Long Ago'']
* {{IMSLP|id=Bayly, Thomas Haynes}}
* Sheet music for [http://purl.lib.ua.edu/14410 "The Mother of the Soldier Boy"], Macon, GA: John C. Schreiner & Son, 1864, from the [http://purl.lib.ua.edu/18443 Confederate Imprints Sheet Music Collection]
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Thomas Haynes Bayly |sopt=t}}
* {{Librivox author |id=8222}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayly, Thomas Haynes}}
[[Category:1797 births]]
[[Category:1839 deaths]]
[[Category:English male songwriters]]
[[Category:English male poets]]
[[Category:19th-century English male writers]]
[[Category:19th-century English poets]]

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Thomas Haynes Bayly