Down by the old abbey ruins

AKA No eye could see
First Published 1880
Writer/composer Sweeney/Rowley Roud RN13629

Music Hall Performers JW Rowley
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Pardon, Walter; England, Norfolk; 1978
unknown singer collected by Alfred Williams, c1915		 

From a broadside held in the Bodlleian library

One day as I strayed 'neath the beautiful glade, 
Enjoying the sweet summer breeze, 
I chanced to behold the remains of an old
Ruined abbey all sheltered with trees; 
The picture to crown, as I chanced to look down,
Was a picture by form I did see, 
Of a lovely young maid, who reclined 'neath the shade 
Of a wide spreading horse-chestnut tree. 

There were no eyes to see, no tongue to tell, 
Only the birds saw our doings
As i fondly embraced her dear little waist
Down by the old abbey ruins. 

As closer I crept I found that she slept;
Then boldly I crept closer still:
And gazed with great zest on the charms she possess'd
Till my heart with love quickly filled.
It seemed like a dream, till she awoke with a scream, 
And jumped to her feet in dismay;
But I took off my hat, said beg pardon, dear pet, 
For disturbing you in such a way.

I told her my name so friends we became, 
Her shyness I cannot compare; 
She fondled And fussed, looked pale and then blushed, 
When I told her how long I'd been there 
By the old abbey wall, I told her that all 
I had in this world she should share; 
And none but the birds heard our fond loving words, 
Or what we were saying down there

A song from the Halls of the 1880s, most often associated with the performer  JW “Over” Rowley.. The earliest record of a performance of the song is from 1879 at Gatti’s Hall in London:

Feb. 23, 1879; The Era 

In Scotland the song was also associated with Wilford Bowman, a “Scotch” comedian who organised weekly concerts at Trades Hall in Arbroath in the 1870s and later toured Scotland and the North of England.

The words were written by P Sweeney, the lyricist who also wrote Delaney’s Chicken. His songs often had music written by Lester Barrett, but in this case the music is credited to Rowley. Sheet music was later published in America, credited to WC Robey, whose name has been associated with other pirated editions of British Music Hall songs.

The song was sung as part of a series of fragments by Walter Pardon alongside Wake Up Johnny / When the cock begins to crow / and Saving Them All for Mary. You can here them at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library

Sources: