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History
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The inscription on the tombstone reads: Here
Lies the remains of Robert Bloomfield. He was born at Honington
Suffolk December III MDCCLXVI and died at Shefford August XIX
MDCCCXXIII.
Let his wild native wood notes tell the rest.
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Robert
Bloomfield(1766-1823) English Poet.
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Robert Bloomfield was born in Honington, Suffolk in
1766. His father who was a poor tailor died of smallpox soon
afterwards leaving a large family.
His mother, a teacher at the village school, taught him to read and
write and at 11 he went to work on his uncle’s farm. He proved to
be too frail fo this, so at 15 he went to join his brothers in London
to learn the trade of shoemaker.
A fellow lodger in the garret where he lived lent him works of poetry
which inspired him to write about the Suffolk countryside.
In 1790 he married Mary Ann Church.
He
composed The Farmer’s Boy while making shoes, remembering
the lines in his head until he could write them down. Initially
it was
refused by several publishers but was eventually published by Vernor and Hood in 1800, it included
woodcuts by Thomas Bewick. The work was extraordinarily popular
selling 26,000 copies within two years, ans was translated into a
number of languages.
He followed up his success with Rural Tales (1802), Good
Tidings (1804) Wild Flowers (1806) and The Banks of the
Wye (1811).
In 1812 he left London and moved to Shefford where he died in 1823.
He is buried in All Saints’ Chuchyard, Campton where his
tombstone remains today. A plaque commemorating his life is in the
process of being displayed in the Church.
The Robert
Bloomfield Society
The Robert Bloomfield
Society is a small organisation with a modest but generally committed
membership of admirers of Bloomfield,
including academics and people with family links. Our membership comes
mainly from the UK
but we have members in the USA
and in Japan.
In the activities of
the Society, we are always drawn to Bloomfield’s
local connections including of course Suffolk
where he was raised and our local Mid Beds area where he spent his
later years and, of course, Campton where he is buried.
New members are always
welcome. Please contact Angela Underhill,
Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Robert Bloomfield Society, 71
Spenser Road Bedford MK40 2BE.
The Society’s website
New Audio CD recording of
The Farmer’s Boy now available
Stewart Orr Sound Services’ recently issued 2 CD set of a reading
by David Woodward of the complete text of The Farmer’s Boy, in
authentic
Suffolk accent, is now available at a cost of £16.00 (post free
if
you live within hand delivery range of Campton, Meppershall and
Shefford).
The readings are introduced by Ronald Blythe, the well known Suffolk
writer
and President of the Robert Bloomfield Society. This audio version of
Bloomfield’s best known work represents Suffolk speech forms that were
probably current in the late 18th century when the poem was written,
and close to those the poet would have been using when he came to live
in Shefford in 1812. If you would like a copy of the set please
forward a cheque for £16 (made payable to the Robert Bloomfield
Society) to Angela Underhill,
Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Robert Bloomfield Society, 71
Spenser Road Bedford MK40 2BE.
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You may also be interested in this:
Stewart Orr is soon to be embarking on a recording session
with David Woodward of<> short stories written in the fifties by Ray Appleton for
the opening of the VHF service to the east of England, based in
Norwich. These 11 stories are written in dialect, and will
fit David's gentle brogue wonderfully, I am sure. For more
information contact:-
Stewart Orr
Prior's Croft Barn,
Withersdale,
Harleston,
Norfolk.
IP20 0JG
01379 854458
e-mail
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Service of
Dedication for
Plaque Commemorating Robert Bloomfield
A church service was held at All Saints' Church, Campton on Sunday 20th
July 2003 at 3.30pm to celebrate the life and work of Robert Bloomfield
(1766
- 1823), who is buried in the churchyard. At the service the Bishop of
Bedford,
the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, dedicated the new plaque for
Bloomfield
which has been designed in Welsh slate by Ieuan Rees of the
Suffolk
based Memorials by Artists.
There was an open invitation to go to the service which was also
attended by members of the Robert Bloomfield Society who held their
summer event in Shefford and Campton on that day and made a tour on
foot of places identified with Bloomfield. After the service, at which
a peal was rung by young Campton bell ringers who are students of the
Robert Bloomfield School, refreshments were served and there was a
poetry reading of a selection of some of the poet's works.'
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The text reads: Then bring me nature, bring me sense,
And Joy shall be your recompense
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A nationally-travelled locally-based musician who writes songs and
music in the traditional idiom about Bedfordshire history, legend and
customs, has written a dance tune which honours Robert Bloomfield in
its title, 'Robert
Bloomfield's Jig'.
For
more details
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