Sunday, October 28, 2012

Oranges and Lemons


I’ve been picking a few of our oranges and this song came to mind.

"Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.

You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.

When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.

When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.

When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.

I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

I remember it as a game singing the song at birthday parties. The song is sung with two people (usually adults) facing each, holding their hands together and up in front of each other forming an arch. Then the children all file between the adults through the arch. The challenge comes during the final lines:

    Here comes a candle to light you to bed.
    Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
    (Chip chop, chip chop, the last man's dead.)

On the last word, the people forming the arch drop their arms to catch the child currently passing through, who is then "out" and would then stand behind one of the people forming the original arch.

Alternative versions of the game include: children passing through in pairs and those caught "out" by the last rhyme may form additional arches next to the existing one. In this way, the series of arches becomes a steadily lengthening tunnel through which each set of two players have to run faster and faster to escape in time; and, children forming "arches" may bring their hands down for each word of the last line. It was often the case, in Scottish playgrounds, that children would pair into boy and girl and the ones "caught" would have to kiss.

The words to "Oranges and lemons" have always been a little strange and have a sinister historical connotation.
The exact date of origin is unknown but there was a Square Dance called 'Oranges and Lemons' dating back to 1665, unfortunately there are no known record of the lyrics which accompanied the dance but it’s likely that the words were similar to that of the nursery rhyme. The neighbourhood names relate to some of the many churches of London and the tune that accompanies the lyrics emulates the sound of the ringing of the individual church bells.

The game of 'Oranges and lemons' which culminates in a child being caught between the joined arms of two others, is thought to be the act of chopping off their head! The reason for the sinister last three lines of the lyrics are easily explained, they were added to the original rhyme, probably by children! This addition dates to sometime before 1783 when The Tyburn Gallows (the infamous public execution gallows - the Tyburn-tree) was moved from Tyburn-gate (Marble Arch) to Newgate, a notorious prison which housed both criminals and debtors hence "When will you pay me?” Apparently this move was necessary to reduce problems caused by the crowds, often exceeding 100,000, gathered along the execution procession route. This stretched along a three mile route from Newgate Prison to Tyburn and around the Tyburn tree itself.
the 'Execution Bell'

Newgate Prison
The 'Bells of Old Bailey', or more accurately the tenor bell of St Sepulchre, had been utilised prior to 1783 to time the executions but after the gallows had been moved, Newgate prison (now the site of the Old Bailey) obtained its own bell. As the words to the poem "Oranges and lemons" indicate the unfortunate victim would await execution on 'Death Row' and would be informed by the Bellman of St. Sepulchre by candle light 'here comes the candle to light you to bed', at midnight outside their cell, the Sunday night prior to their imminent fate, by the ringing of the 'Execution Bell' (a large hand bell) and the recitation of the following :


All you that in the condemned hole do lie,
                                                         Prepare you for tomorrow you shall die;
                                                         Watch all and pray: the hour is drawing near
                                                         That you before the Almighty must appear;
                                                         Examine well yourselves in time repent,
                                                         That you may not to eternal flames be sent.
                                                         And when St. Sepulchre's Bell in the morning tolls
                                                         The Lord above have mercy on your soul.

The executions commenced at nine o'clock Monday morning following the first toll of the tenor bell.

St Clement Eastcheap
It’s also a street guide to the old city of London

Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.

St Clement Eastcheap, - St Clement is the patron saint of seamen, which he became due to the fact he was martyred by being cast into the sea with an anchor around his neck. Records suggest there has been a church on the site as far back as the 11th Century. Before the Great fire of London (1666) and current church (built by Wren in 1686), the area was near the wharves where citrus fruit used to be unloaded.
Citrus fruit was an expensive luxury in Elizabethan England.

St Martin Orgar


You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.

St Martin Orgar, again the body of the church was destroyed in the Great Fire. The tower survived, until it was rebuilt in 1851. The rhyme relates to the moneylenders who traded nearby. Thus the child singing the song would borrow money to buy expensive fruit.





When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.

St. Sepulchre
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate (opposite the Old Bailey),
 is still the number one court in London, but it was for serious crimes, and the child only owes money. The Old Bailey did not have its own bell - it refers to the bells of St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate church and the bell of Newgate prison.

The Old Bailey

The bell of St. Sepulchre marked the time (death knell) of imminent executions until Newgate prison acquired its own bell. The church was destroyed by the Great Fire of London and rebuilt by Wren in 1671. The medieval courthouse of London was also destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and was replaced by London's Central Criminal Court which was used during 1673 -1834. The local name for the court was the 'Old Bailey' which was so-called after the street in which it was located Bailey Street.


St. Leonard's Shoreditch.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.

St Leonard's, on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch - now part of the London Borough of Hackney - Was often frequented by Elizabethan actors as it was located near to the first purpose built theatre called 'The Theatre' and also in close proximity to the 'Curtain Theatre'. The current church, rebuilt in 1740 still has the graves of many actors including William Shakespeare's friend and builder of the Curtain Theatre, Richard Burbage. The hopeful phrase “When I grow rich" must have been echoed by many an actor in Elizabethian England.

St Dunstan's, Stepney


When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.

St Dunstan's, Stepney High Street has a long traditional link with the sea and it was once known as the 'Church of the High Seas'. Many sailors were buried in the churchyard. The phrase "When will that be?" could possibly refer to wives waiting for sailors to return from voyages with their fortunes - their wives would have to wait for their return to receive any wages, but they never knew how long the voyages might be - a two year wait was not uncommon!
St Mary-le-Bow



I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow.

St Mary-le-Bow, off Cheapside. There has been a church on this site dating back to before the arrival of the Normans in 1066. The current building was built by Sir Christopher Wren between 1670 and 1680, after the Great Fire of London destroyed the previous church. You were considered a Cockney - a Londerner, if you were born within the sound of Bow Bell.



Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead.



This version was created for the execution of Charles by Parliament , but the Elizabethian nursery rhyme is much better

Gay go up and gay go down
To Ring the Bells of London Town
"Oranges and Lemons" say the Bells of St. Clements
"Bullseyes and Targets" say the Bells of St. Margaret's (refer to archery which was practised in the nearby fields.)
"Brickbats and Tiles" say the Bells of St. Giles (refers to the bricks and tiles made from London clay used by the city builders)
"Halfpence and Farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's
"Pancakes and Fritters" say the Bells of St. Peter's (this was the area of the original 'fast food' of old London's workers)
"Two Sticks and an Apple" say the Bells of Whitechapel (Whitechapel Bell Foundry- transportation of bells to other parts of London drew great crowds and the atmosphere was similar to that of a fair where of course toffee apples were traditionally eaten)
"Maids in white aprons" say the Bells at St. Katherine's (main food market before great fire, where women of the early 1600's sold the wares which included meat, game, poultry and fish.)
"Pokers and Tongs" say the Bells of St. John's (by the Tower of London - used as a treason prison for many years and the refer to the instruments of torture which were used there!)
"Kettles and Pans" say the Bells of St. Anne's (refer to the utensils sold by the coppersmiths who worked nearby)
"Old Father Baldpate" say the slow Bells of Aldgate (Church of St. Botolph's - known as the 'Prostitutes' church' - refers to "Old Father Bald Pate" relates to Saint Botolph. A bald pate was a colloquialism used to describe a bald-headed person, and the main client of the ladies.)
"You owe me Ten Shillings" say the Bells of St. Helen's (The church was frequented by many rich merchants who lived in the area. Many operated as a money lenders)
"When will you Pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow Rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch
"Pray when will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney
"I do not know" say the Great Bell of Bow
Gay go up and gay go down
To Ring the Bells of London Town

1 comment :

  1. What a fascinating post. I enjoyed reading about all the churches and finding the meaning to the rhymes.

    ReplyDelete