Singer: Tom Hilton
It is a great shame that Vaughan Williams noted no details at all about this singer of 13 songs as there are many Hiltons in the area and no less than five likely candidates, but thanks to the work done by Chris Heppa, written up in A Fledgling in the Nest of Singing Birds I think Thomas, born 1862 is the most likely. Chris interviewed Sam Howard about the singing in East Norfolk which included Harry Cox as its best-known performer. Sam’s wife Evelyn’s uncle Tom Hilton was known to have sung The Outlandish Knight and his age in 1908 (c45 years) and residence on the 1901 census (S Walsham) and the 1911 census (Upton, an adjacent parish and on RVW’s putative cycling route between Acle and Ranworth / Horning) have made him the prime candidate.
Tom was born in 1862/3 at South Walsham and is to be found there in all censuses up to 1901, moving ‘next door’ to Upton for 1911. From the age of at least 18 he was working on the land, and married Ann Maria Alexander in 1897. These two produced 8 children in the next 14 years, all of whom were living at home in only 4 rooms in 1911. Tom died aged 76 in 1939.
April 11 1908
Lovely On The Water (Roud 1539)
When Joan’s Ale Was New (Roud 139)
April 16 1908
Lad In The Scotch Brigade (Roud 1784)
Liverpool Landlady (Roud 19107)