The Odd Fellows Song-Book and Rum Casket of Mirth for 1804:

EARLIEST SURVIVING ISSUE OF THIS “ODD” SONGBOOK

containing a numerous collection of Original, New, and Fashionable, Songs, now singing and lately sung at the Theatres, Vauxhall, Royal Circus, Astley’s Amphitheatre, &c. Including Collin’s Celebrated Song of Shakespeare’s Seven Ages…to which are added, A Variety of Sentimental and Odd Toasts and Sentiments, written expressly for this work.

 

?First Edition. Tall 8vo (185 x 105mm). 47, [1] pp., with a folding frontispiece illustration by Isaac Cruickshank. Rather browned and dusty throughout, some uncut edges. Original blue printed paper covers (covers dusty, grubby and a little torn in laces, remains of an old stick on the upper cover (carefully repaired and preserved in brown cloth boards, upper covered labelled in gilt).

 

London: published by John Fairburn, 146 Minories, 

Rare. Unrecorded. No copies of this edition found in either OCLC or Copac. This is the earliest surviving edition (and possibly the first edition) of Fairburn’s collection of songs (the next is the 1806 edition – one copy only at the American Antiquarian Society and after that the 1808 edition – one copy only at Indiana University). 

 

A mad-cap annual compendium of popular songs from the London theatres, including many by Charles Dibdin as well as John Collins' "Shakespeare’s seven ages". 

 

 

At the end of the book is a list of “Toast and Sentiments” (p.46) which includes 39 drinking toasts – such as “ Printing in sheets, and the pleasure of a first impression”. An announcement at the end reads:

 

“As we propose to publish the Odd Fellow’s Sing-Book annually and wishing to make it peculiarly appropriate to these Sons of Conviviality; we shall be particularly obliged for any New Songs or Sentiments, which may be written for this United Society, and to be sent to the Publisher before October next; and, as we wish to reward the Genius, and stimulate the young Poet to honourable exertion, we here offer a reward of half-a-dozen New Song-Books for the best comic Song or Medley, applicable to the Odd Fellow’s Society” (p.46).

 

In the present collection the song “Glee” is addressed “To Mr. Fairburn, Minories” from a reader “W.B. Britannia-Lodge, St. George’s in the East” (p.24).

 

“My earliest career was, however, of the humblest kind, and was rather editorial than original. A sixpenny pamphlet called ‘The Thespian Olio,’ with frontispiece, was the first. Next appeared ‘The Odd Fellows’ Song-Book,’ price 1s., with an engraved title-page, and a frontispiece from a drawing by my friend Mr. Satchwell. This was a daring speculation, as it involved the risk of nearly fifteen pounds, for paper, printing, engraving, &c, a sum I had never possessed at any one time. I printed 500 copies, and sold them all, with a trifling profit. At that time I became acquainted with John Fairburn, a print and bookseller in the Minories, a warm-hearted man, who, though diligent and laboriously industrious, was a bad manager, and consequently was always struggling with pecuniary difficulties. His connections were chiefly with seafaring persons and sea-ports. For him I compiled several annual song-books, which consisted of ballads &c., entirely applicable to the sailor’s life and pursuits. The father of the present justly eminent George Cruickshank made designs for the frontispieces, which were unlike and very inferior to the popular and expressive designs and etchings by the latter. Fearless of prosecutions by the Dibdins for infringing their copyrights, our annual budget was made up almost entirely from their prolific and popular writings. The amount of my labour and care consisted in selecting the pieces, seeing them through the press, writing a preface, and preparing a series of toasts and sentiments adapted for convivial meetings. Believing that these annual song-books cannot be found in Signor Panizzi’s never-to-be-finished Catalogue of the British Museum Library, I will venture to preserve the short extracts from the prefaces of two of them, not as arrogating any claim to literary merit, but as indicative of some dramatic powers…”   The Autobiography of John Britton (1850).

 

Aside from the present copy which turned up in provincial Connecticut auction – “Property from a Northwest Connecticut collection” – and made practically nothing, there are no other copies recorded on Rare Book Hub for over seventy years, none of which are earlier than our example. 

 

 

Stock Code: 245727