The Langdales from Moss Eccles Tarn
Isaac Watts Hymn Writer 1674 - 1748
A Short Profile
A prolific writer of hymns he is credited with perhaps seven hundred and fifty, amongst which 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross', 'Jesus Shall Reign', 'Joy to the World' and 'From all that Dwell Below the Skies' are probably the most well known. Watts was born into a non-conformist family in Southampton, receiving a classical education learning Latin and Greek at King Edward VI school in Southampton and later the Dissenting Academy in Stoke Newington London, where he displayed a talent for poetry and rhyme at an early age. At the time entrance to Oxford or Cambridge universities or to positions in the civil service were restricted to Anglicans which explains his choice of further education. Much of Watts' later life was spent around Stoke Newington as pastor of a large chapel in London where he also helped train preachers, holding rather ecumenical views for a non-conformist, his main interest was in education and scholarship. During a period of bad health he took work as a private tutor and became acquainted with the wealthy Hartopp and Abney families and subsequently spent thirty six years as part of the Abney household both in Stoke Newington and at their country retreat Theobalds in Hertfordshire. Knighted by William III in 1700 Sir Thomas Abney was at various times a governor of the Bank of England, Sheriff of London, Lord Mayor of London and quite an influential man of his time. Isaac Watts continued to live with his patron's widow and her unmarried daughter Elizabeth after Sir Thomas' death in 1721 and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree by Edinburgh University in 1728. The Elm Walk in Abney Park Stoke Newington (he died at Abney Hall in 1748) is said to be one of Watts' favourite places and was the inspiration for much of his work. If we now fast forward to Victorian Manchester we find a rather mysterious Watts connection with a James Watts, whose family own a large textile wholesalers S & J Watts in Portland Street. James Watts is a successful businessman whose company's turnover was said to be larger than the GDP of Spain. In the mid nineteenth century, he bought the Kinder Estate and lived at Upper House Hayfield Derbyshire, he later bought 'The Grove' a large house built by Alfred Orrell in Cheadle Cheshire on the site of an old print works, and according to his son, re-named it Abney Hall in honour of Sir Thomas Abney who had previously been such a hospitable patron to his family ancestor Dr Isaac Watts for so many years. James Watts' grandson also James was the brother in law of Agatha Christie who is said to have been a frequent visitor to Upper House and Abney Hall and wrote some of her books there. The Abney Hall connection can't be just a co-incidence can it? Whatever, the fact that many choirs are still singing 'Morte Christe' and his other hymns today is testament enough to the artistry of Isaac Watts and to the composers like Emrys Jones who set the words to music.
Palfreyman - September 2016
Lyme Hall Cheshire
Some Links to other reading - follow the link below the picture.
A Cricket Calypso
A short biopic of cricketer Cyril Washbrook and a snapshot of his career including his role in the West Indies tour of 1950 recorded in the lyrics of the Cricket Calypso.
Little Ships at Zeebrugge
An account of a heroic attempt to block the port of Zeebrugge during the first World War, to protect supply routes into the UK by denying enemy submarines based there access to the open sea.
Farthingale Publications: ..... Is a hobby web site containing articles of local interest to Lancastrians, some favourite walking and cycling routes, selected words and poetry, and some writings of more general nature as well as the authors own picture gallery. Access is available via the homepage and menu at the head of the page or via one of the direct links below.
Local Interest: A Cricket Calypso; A Lancashire Lullaby; Dust Upon God's Fair Earth; God's Choir; Isaac Watts 1674 - 1748; It's a Funny Life; John Byrom 1692 - 1793; John Lancaster Wigan MP; Jubilee Park Memorial, Ashton in Makerfield; Little Ships at War 1918; Mind Your Language; Not Much of a Warrior; Peveril of the Peak; Private Thomas Whitham VC; Richmond Hill Dairies; Scot Lane School Wigan; The Brocklebank Line; The Holy City Liverpool; The Lindsays of Haigh; The Nurburgring 1960; Thomas Aspinwall Miners Agent; Thomas Aspinwall Obituary; Thomas Linacre School Wigan; Upholland Telephone Exchange; Wigan Advertisements 1960; Wigan Old Bank 1792; Wigan Soldier Missing in Action.
Walking & Cycling: Abbey Lakes to Coppull Moor; A Lancashire Linear Walk; Blackrod or Bust; Chorley Ice Cream Walk; Cycle the Monsal Trail; Cycle the Sankey Valley; Douglas Valley Dawdle; Freshfield to Crosby; Haigh to Borsdane Wood; Irwell Valley Trail (Bury to Rawtenstall); Irwell Valley Trail (Bury to Salford); Moss Eccles Tarn; Three Counties Cycle Ride; Wigan Circular by Bike.
Words & Poetry: A Lancashire Mon; A Legend of Montrose; Aw've Turned me bit O' Garden O'er; Boat Song; Calm is the Sea; Classic Poetry; Dombey and Son; Dover Harbour; Dust upon God's Fair Earth; God Bless these Poor Wimmen that's Childer; Hymn Before Action; Jeff Unsworth's dialect poetry; King Cotton; Martin Chuzzlewit; Martyrs of the Arena; Mind Your Language; Only a Cranky Owd Foo'; On Th' Hills; Poet's Corner; Redgauntlet; Rogue Herries; The Antiquary; The Bride of Lammermoor; Th' Coartin' Neet; The Darkling Thrush; The Fair Rosamond; The Fair Rosamond Comic; The Family Man; The Glory of the Garden; The Heart of Midlothian; The Pickwick Papers; The Rolling English Road; The Wreck of the Hesperus; Toddlin' Whoam; When Winds Breathe Soft; Wisdom.
Wallgate Chronicles: Adolphe Adam; A Tale of Two Cities; A Walk in the Hills; Barnaby Rudge; Bookcase; Cat Bells; Desert Island Discs; Eay Times Uv Changed; Fidelio; Frank Whittle and the Jet Engine; Fun with Trigonometry; Hard Times; Hugo Boss comes to Wigan; In the footsteps of the Manchester Rambler; Ivanhoe; Little Dorrit; Lohengrin; Rob Roy; Romance on a Budget; Semele; Surprise at the Philharmonic; The Battle of Solferino; The Bohemian Girl; The Fair Maid of Perth; The Force of Destiny; The Getaway Car; The Marriage of Figaro; The Old Curiosity Shop; The Ravioli Room; The Spectroscope; The Switchroom Wigan; Travels in Time 1960; Travels in Time 2010.