Mills, AJ

Arthur J Mills (1872-1919) was a publisher and songwriter, responsible for a HUGE number of popular songs, most of which were published between 1894 and 1919. Little appears to be known about his family background, but we do know that he was born in Richmond, Surrey and apparently wrote songs from a very early age. For a while he was a comic and mimic on the Music Hall stage, but the songwriting soon became his full-time profession.

His early successes were such that in 1906 he launched his own publishers with Bennett Scott: the Star Music Company. He songs were usually written in collaboration with others – most often Bennett Scott, but his name also appeared alongside other prominent songwriters like FW Carter, Fred Godfrey and Harry Castling. For most of these songs it is not possible to work out exactly who did what and it’s likely that for songs published by their own company, Mills and Bennett were sometimes adding their names to songs mostly written by others which they gave a final polish to.

He died suddenly as a result of a brain haemorrhage, aged 48 0n 17 October 1919.

A provisional list of his songs which have been collected from traditional singers (song only finally confirmed when link is visible, songs in italics may require a visit to the British Library) :

  1. All along the rails (with FW Carter)
  2. All Over Me (with FW Carter)
  3. Big Ben Struck One (with Bennett Scott)
  4. Bombay
  5. Coronation Day (with George Everard)
  6. Darling Mabel (with Bennett Scott)
  7. Doing my duty (with FW Carter)
  8. Fall in and Follow Me (with Bennett Scott)
  9. Fine feathers make fine birds (with Harry Castling)
  10. Follow the sergeant (with Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott)
  11. Has anyone seen a German band? (with Bennett Scott)
  12. Has anyone seen my tiddler? (with FW Carter)
  13. Hear the pipers calling, Jennie Mine (with Bennett Scott)
  14. I got married this morning (with Bennett Scott)
  15. Is your mother in, Molly Malone? (with George Everard)
  16. I wonder if you miss me sometimes (I wonder if you care) (with Bennett Scott)
  17. Jolly Jarge (with George Arthurs)
  18. Just like the ivy (with Harry Castling)
  19. Make your mind up, Maggie McKenzie (with Bennett Scott)
  20. Meet me by moonlight alone : mock ballad (with Bennett Scott)
  21. Nelson from his monument (with Bennett Scott)
  22. Riddle-me-ree (a version of … with Bennett Scott)
  23. Running up and down our stairs(with FW Carter)
  24. Sailing in my balloon (with Bennett Scott)
  25. Ship Ahoy (All the nice girls love a sailor) (with Bennett Scott)
  26. Sing a song of Bonnie Scotland (with Bennett Scott)
  27. Take me back to dear old Blighty (with Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott)
  28. Then she started tickle-ing (with FW Carter)
  29. There’s a girl wanted there (with Bennett Scott)
  30. Watching ’em (with FW Carter)
  31. Where, oh! where is my Mary Ellen? (with Bennett Scott)
  32. White silk dress, The (with Bennett Scott)
  33. You’d better come down at once (with FW Carter)
  34. You must have a little bit more (with Ben Nevis)
  35. You’ve got a long way to go (with FW Carter)

All the known songs: This list probably underestimates his full output, but represents my most complete list of his songs that were published as sheet music, with cross-references to the Roud Indexes where they exist.

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Sources

  • Brief biography at The Fred Godfrey website
  • Notice of final illness, The Era – Wednesday 01 October 1919
  • Obituary, The Stage – Thursday 23 October 1919