Lucy Broadwood – a folk song pioneer

On this day in 1858 (August 9) a pioneer of folk song, Lucy Broadwood, was born.

Although the family were living in Scotland when she was born, they all moved to Lyne House in Capel, a few miles from Horsham, a few years later.

Her father was a piano manufacturer and her mother, of Scottish descent, would sing an old ballad from north of the border to the young Lucy.

When she was older Lucy discovered that her uncle, John Broadwood, had self-published a book of old folk songs, marrying the words to the original music.

She helped with a revised version of the book years later, adding more songs to those first published.

This triggered off more work and compilations of folk songs during the 1890s, the value of which was recognised by a number of famous people in the music world, such as composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. One such book was English County Songs which she jointly edited and which is on show at Horsham Museum.

Another interest was traditional carols and her collection English Traditional Songs and Carols, published in 1908, is also on show at Horsham Museum.

Lucy was a founder member of the Folk Song Society and became editor of the Folk Song Journal.

She travelled round the country and collected songs from all manner of people. One great source was the Horsham shoe-maker and bell-ringer Henry Burtstow whose remarkable memory meant he could recall hundreds of songs!

Lucy Broadwood died, aged 71, in 1929 and is buried in Rusper Churchyard. She had been the choirmistress and organist of the parish church from her mid teens to early 20s.

The Broadwoods had rebuilt the church in the mid 19th century, and there are many memorials in the church and the graveyard to the family, including an alabaster bust on the west wall of Lucy designed by Thomas Clapperton.

The locally based Broadwood Morris Men, formed in 1972, are named in commemoration of Lucy Broadwood.