A little Wateringbury music

Post date: Nov 17, 2011 8:44:23 PM

Contributed with thanks by Dail Whiting.

Having read your article relating to William Rutter Dawes, the Wateringbury astronomer, and reflected on the location where he lived, I was reminded of a story I was told many years ago regarding a song relating to the same location. The song entitled Leanin' (lyrics reproduced below) was written by Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett* and Hugh E Wright. It was often played on the radio when I was a child, particularly on Family Favourites. I grew up with the understanding that T C Sterndale Bennett was thought to be inspired by the area of the mill and ponds, particularly the lower mill pond, now gone. The gate mentioned in the song was apparently towards the beginning of the track (upper mill end) leading to Warden House. Unfortunately, I cannot find a sample of the recording but a link follows to YouTube to another amusing song by Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3uoJjxMkg

Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett (born c1883) was a musician, vocalist, pianist and composer. His connection to Wateringbury was through his older brother John* (born 1880) and John's wife Honor Fremlin (nee Flint) (born c1887) who lived in Oakenwood on Red Hill, Wateringbury. Honor's parents were George Gilham Flint and Frances (known as Fanny) (nee Fremlin). Frances was born in Warden House, Wateringbury, in c1851. She was one of eleven children born to James Fremlin, the miller, and Ann (nee Jude). For a while before she was married, Frances lived with her older brother Richard at May Lodge (now Broomsdown). It seems likely that Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett often popped down to see his brother in Wateringbury, and almost certainly knew his sister-in-law's relatives and the area where they lived.

* Ref http://www.fadedgenes.co.uk/WalterSterndaleBENNETT.html - Section 2 (Parents), (iii) John Sterndale Bennet and (v) Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett.

LEANIN'

(Written by Hugh E. Wright & Thomas Case Sterndale Bennett)

Sewin's pretty good

Reapin' ain't so bad

Scarin' off the crows

Suits a farmer's lad

But if you ask's me

The thing that suits a fellow

Is a little bit of straw to suck

To keep your fancies mellow

When you're leanin' on the gate beside

The pond that lies beside the side

Of farmer's stacks of new mown hay

It's just atwix the ricks

Beside the barn where farmers sticks inside

The chicks he only hatch'd today

Leanin', leanin'

I'm champion down our way, they say

At leanin' on the gate beside the pond that lies beside

The side of farmer's stacks of new mown hay

That he's been gleanin'

While I've been leanin' ..... all day

Had a lurcher once

Better than a gal

Poacher? Well, a bit

But 'e was a pal

Now there's just a mound

Underneath the el-lum

Reckon folks would laugh at I

If I was to tell 'em...

Why I'm leanin' on the gate beside the pond that lies beside

The side the hedge where my old dog would play

It's just a'cos from there I see the sunlight

Glintin' through the tree

Upon the grave where 'e do lie

Sleepin', sleepin'

Goodbye is hard to say

That's why

I'm leanin' on the gate beside the pond that lies beside

The side of farmer's stacks of new-mown hay

And at the gleanin'

He'll find me leanin' ..... all day