Nelly Ray (I love a little country queen)

Nelly Ray

I love a little country queen, a village beauty rare,
With rosy cheeks, white pearly teeth and lovely nut-brown hair;
Her waist is so slender, and her feet they are so small,
Of all the girls I ever loved, my Nelly beats them all.

Nelly Ray, Nelly Ray, charming little Nell,
Nelly Ray like birds in May, singing all the day,
Nelly Ray, Nelly Ray, pretty little girl;
I never had a sweetheart like my little Nelly Ray.

Her father is a farmer in a village down in Kent,
And being on my holidays, to spend them there I went,
One day while strolling out up to the farm house I did 
And there I first saw Nelly, as she drove the cattle home.

I took my Nelly for a walk among the bright green grass,
And words of love I whisper'd then to this sweet country lass;
I sat her down upon a bank, and then sat by her side,
And while my arm was round her waist, she pledged to be my bride.

And now I've named the wedding day and happy we shall be,
No thought of jealousy will cross the mind of her or me ;
But in our little- farmhouse we'll be happy night and day.
Our lives will pass like sunshine, for I've got the brightest ray.

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https://digital.nls.uk/broadsides/view/?id=15000&criteria=%22country%20queen%22

Surviving broadsides , songsters and contemporary newspaper reports suggest the song was first sung in 1870 and in that year performed by three different Music Hall comics: Tom Bournley, Gus Westbrook and possibly Edward Wilding. Westbrook seems to have regularly appeared on the same bills as Bournley and Wilding.

One of a number of 19th century songs with the title Nelly Ray or similar. I have spent some time investigating them and on balance I suspect that this particular song was written by Gus Westbrook.

Not to be confused with these songs, mostly associated with blackface minstrel performers:

• Ben Battle or Faithless Nelly Gray (RN13385, 1864) First: Ben Battle was a soldier bold Universal book of songs and and singers companion 1864.
• Darling Nelly Ray (RN4883, 1856, Hanby) First line: There’s a low green valley on the old Kentucky shore. Performed by Christy Minstrels.
• (I Often dream of) Nelly Gray (RNV51832, c1859) – Words by John Oxenford, music by M.W. Balfe, sung by Christy’s Minstrels.
• Nellie Ray (RNV49056, 1867) – written by WH Brockley, sung by Christy’s Minstrels. First line: I loved but once

Tom Bournley and Nelly Ray

Tom Bournley was a performer and songwriter, variously billed as “the peoples own comique and author”, “Lancashire comedian”, and simply, “a great favourite in Manchester. ” Contemporary newspaper reports suggest that he wrote and sang many of his own songs. He appeared largely in provincial English Halls between 1865 and 1880. He only rarely played the London Halls – seen as a mark of success – he wasn’t a big name …. Only one of his songs seems to have been published as sheet music: I’ll ask my mother and let you know next Sunday afternoon, RN 12611. Newspaper reports mention other songs called: Leave that to me and Leap for living. There are several occasions when he appeared on the same bill as Gus Westbrook.

Two broadsides and a broadside catalogue listed in the Roud Broadside Index state that the song called Nelly Ray with the same first line as given here was “Sung by Tom Bournley”. There is no indication in these sources as to who wrote and/or composed the song.

Gus Westbrook and Nelly Ray

Gus Westbrook was also a performer and songwriter. His stage career lasted from 1868 to 1881 and he seems to have been somewhat more successful than Bournley, ending his career playing in the larger London Halls and touring Europe. He was billed “the versatile,” “comic vocalist and composer” and “the original Polly Put the Kettle On” as he had a hand in writing GH MacDermot’s hit of that name. In the 1870s he was billed as “the continental comic” after touring continental Europe with his wife, the seriocomic Jenny Mills. According to newspaper reports , his songs also included one about the Tichbourne case called Sir Roger is the Right Heir (RNV42974) and others titled: Pifferaro – the Italian Boy, Sim La La and I’ve got your number.

A single broadside in the Roud Broadside Index states that the song called Nelly Ray with the same first line as given here was “Sung with immense success by Gus Westbrook”. (Frank Kidson Broadside Collection Vol. 9 , available from VWML). There is no indication on the song sheet as to who wrote and/or composed the song. Several newspaper reports suggest that Westbrook sang the song, one stating that he also wrote it:

LONDON, THE RAGLAN: Mr. Gus Westbrook is a favourite comic singer among London audiences, and his singing of “Nelly Wray,” which is his own composition, is received with loud applause, the company joining in the chorus. London and Provincial Entr’acte – Saturday 22 April 1871

Its interesting to note that at various times during the June to October of 1870 Westbrook appeared on the same bill as both Bournley and Wilding. Its tempting to speculate that Westbrook passed the Nelly Gray song from one to the other or sold his own song to both – but we have too little evidence.

Edgar Wilding and Nelly Ray

Edgar Wilding was another Music Hall comic active in the 1870s. , billed as “the eccentric,” “the humoursome” and “the postman” . His stage career lasted from 1864 to 1872, at which time it seems that domestic difficulties forced him to leave the stage (thanks to Richard Edmunds who unearthed the reports of the divorce case) . He was working in the Halls again in 1891 when he launched an agency. On stage he sang a mixture of the hits of the day and what appear to be original songs. There are multiple occasions when he appeared on the same bill as Gus Westbrook, most notably between early August and late October in 1870.

Wilding and Nelly Ray: The Roud Broadside Index (at the time of writing) contains no evidence linking Wilding to this song. Newspapers give two reports of him singing a song called Nelly Ray:

• LONDON, THE EASTERN (LIMEHOUSE) Mr. Edgar Wilding, a brisk and agreeable comic vocalist, sang of ” Selling Laces,” ” Dissolving Views,” ” Wasn’t it a funny thing,” and “Charming Nellie Ray.” The Era – Sunday 16 October 1870
• LONDON, FORESTERS Mr. Edgar Wilding gratified the people with his songs of “Nellie Ray,” “ Wasn’t that a funny thing for her to say to me,” and ” Dissolving Views.” The Era – Sunday 27 November 1870

We cannot be certain that Wilding was singing the “Nelly Ray” song investigated here – its possible that it was the anti-slavery blackface minstrel song Darling Nelly Ray or one of the other titles listed above.

The evidence that Tom Bournley and Gus Westbrook sang this Nelly Ray is much stronger and the evidence from broadsides (many of which include the full lyrics) mean we can be reasonably certain its the same song. The fact that a news paper report identifies Westbrook as the songwriter appears to be the only direct evidence of authorship, so I will cautiously attribute the song to him.

By 1873 the song was appearing in American broadsides and songsters.

Sources:

• Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A12610

• Nelly Ray broadside Sung with great success by Gus. Westbrook ; Frank Kidson Broadside Collection Vol. 9 , available from VWML
• Earliest US printing, probably , Henry De Marsan’s New Comic and Sentimental Singer’s Journal , No. 87 c1873
• Lyrics: from broadside in Kidson collection

Selected additional newspaper cuttings:

Tom Bournley

• First appearance and great success of Mr. TOM BOURNLEY, comique, from the London Grand Music Hall, Manchester, and who is nightly delighting thousands with his new comic songs. Liverpool Shipping Telegraph and Daily Commercial Advertiser – Monday 23 October 1865
• TOM BOURNLEY, the People’s Favourite; TOM, every place he appears, the Talk of West Hartlepool. Concludes here tonight. THEATRE ROYAL, SOUTH SHIELDS, on Monday, in New Songs, ‘;Leap far a Living” and “Leave that to Me.” London at Christmas. The Era – Sunday 15 November 1868
• Sunderland: Wear Music Hall: Lieutenant Cole, Brothers Leoni Tom Bournley, Miss Heys, and Gus. Westbrook conclude a most successful engagement this week. The Era – Sunday 12 June 1870

Gus Westbrook:

• MIDDLESEX MUSIC HALL, DRURY-LANE.- ... Brilliant Success of the following Artistes – Edgar Wilding (Eccentric Comic), Gus. Westbrook (Comic) … The Era – Sunday 14 August 1870
• BRISTOL : ALHAMBRA HALL OF VARIETY : Mr Gus Westbrook, comic, in his new song Sir Roger is the Right Heir met with an immense ovation which he richly deserves ... London and Provincial Entr’acte – Saturday 09 December 1871
• MISS JENNY MILLS. Grand Success of the Orighial Songs, ” Pifferoro, the Italian Boy,” and ” Sim La La,” both written by Mr Gus . Westbrook, and sung nightly for the last Six Years in all the principal Cities of Europe. The Era – Sunday 23 March 1879

Edgar Wilding

• London : Middlesex …. Not the least welcome of the items of entertainment which we saw where Mr Edgar Wilding’s songs The girl that I call mine, The Postman and The Sandstone girl. The Era – Sunday 10 November 1872
• A MUSIC HALL SINGER IN THE DIVORCE COURT. Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser – Saturday 11 November 1876 (summarised in Richard Edmunds’ article see “Sources,”)
• THE MUSEDALE and WILDING AGENCY, 158, STAMFORD-STREET, LAMBETH, EDWARD MOSEDALE and EDGAR WILDING beg to inform Proprietors, Managers, and Artists that they have established a MUSICAL and DRAMATIC AGENCY at the above address, embracing all Branches of the Profession.. The Era – Saturday 07 November 1891

Last Updated on March 22, 2026 by John Baxter | Published: March 16, 2026