The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN.
Proof that Crouch Did Not Compose
the Fla nous Song.

Proof that Crouch Did Not Compose
the Song.
Washington Post.
1t was unavoidable that there should be
some revival of the discussion Of the au-
thorship of the celebrated song, Kathleen
Mavourneen," in connection with the an
nouncement of the death a few days ago
of the reputed author. A few years since,
composer, Prof. Crouch, was old and needy,
living in Baltimore in abject poverty, there
was some protest against the assertion that
ne was the person to whom belonged the
honor of the production. But the statement
that Crouch was actually IL want, and lack
OF PROOF or the falS1ty OF the claim, Softened
the argument to a nullity. His authorship
seemed to be generally accepted; charita-
bic contributions poured in upon him, pro-
fits received from the increased sale of the
song were more literally divided with him,
and 1t IS believed that he lived in comfort
to the time of his death upon an income
from what may be in the mildest terms de-
nominated a plagiarism.
There are persons yet living in Washing
ten who We're pupils of Prof. Crouch away
back in the SOS, and who assert that they
saw the manuscript of the music of 'I<ath-
leen Mavourneen' among the professors
papers They admit, however, that this
would not be legal proof that plagiarism
had not been committed. There are those
living here, also, who knew Prof. Crouch,
who knew that the song ard music were
beyond his limited abilities, and who never
Tor a moment accepted the claim of his au-
thorship as having the least foundation.
One OF these persons is Mr.. John f. Coyle,
NV Jul olIS II vi 1Nt ul-
TIL the deluge of changing administrations
overwhelmed it, was successfully reporter.
editorial writer, and proprietor of the ia
nous National Intelligencer. the chief
mouthpiece of the Wing party during the
life Of that important political organiza-
ton. Mr.. Coyle has always been a close
student of musical affairs. and his estima-
BILE wife, whose memory is dear to. Wash
ington, was noted for her magnificent voice
and fine technique. It was with profound
astonishment that Mr.. Coyle heard years
ago Of the claim of Mr.. Crouch. but SYM.
DathV for the mans npCaESitiaC rrouontaI
him from entering into a discussion of the
subject.
While Crouch lived said Mr.. Covle TO
the writer recently, II refrained from Civ
ing the accumulated evidence that would
have destroyed his means of livelihood. His
Kathleen Mavourneen' made him, in a gem
eral way. the accepted author, and doubt
less others who. like myself. were aware
OF the falsity of the assertion, were kept
quiet for a reason similar to that which
closed my mouth. Crouch apparently sad
fror AWE aud. and possibly the world is
not m for giving it to him. as his
imne &y 81 ~ way injured the real au-
th @Ne .opa muj IS dead however :,
would 14r44 that justice should be done. and
the honor of the composition placed where
it honestly belongs.
THE beautiful song was written by Mrs.
Anne crawford. an actress, of the Dublin
Theater who was born in 1874 and died in
1901. seven years before Crouch was born.
1t is not known precisely at what date it
attained popularity. but it was written
when she was in the zenith of her fame
about I769-7O. Certainly it was well known
at the time of the regency, when Beau
Brummel was at the height of his absurd
but extraordinary career, and that is the
reason Mansfield introduced it into his adj
mirable play of Beau BrummeI,' where
the production is spoken of as being one
of the celebrated songs of the day.
lone smart theatrical critic of this city
took Mansfield to task for the gross an
achronism of ~interpolating into a drama
of the last century mention of a modern
song. Mansfield, with some show of irony.
showed the gentleman quickly and conclu-
sively that the piece was sung and APP
plauded at the period represented by the
Mrs. Crawford became Mrs. Barry, and
appeared at the London theaters contem-
porary with Mrs. Siddons, and was a com
petitor of that famed actress for public
favor, playing Juliet, Desdemona, Jane
Shore and other heroines of the dramas
which held the boards at that time. The
dramatic histories and records of the day
speak of her in terms only less f1attering
than those bestowed upon the immortal
Siddons. That Mrs. Barry wrote the song
when she was Mrs. Crawford there can be
The air, however, was no more the COM
position of Mrs. Crawford than of Prof.
Crouch. The first time / remember to have
heard the claim of Crouch disputed was
in 1850. In that year a notable German
musician came to Washington, and when
he happened to hear that the composer of
the music of Kathleen Mavourneen' was
a townsman, he at once denounced the
claim as the boldest sort of fraud, as the
air was that of a German folk-song so old
that no one knew the date DR. author of It.
Knowing the two men, / could not but ac-
cept the statement of Professor Berlin, the
German instructor.
Later additional proof that Berlin was
right was given by one whose word to me
was infallible. In 1858 the lady who sub
sequently became my wife was a pupil of
Sam Giovanni, at the Milan Conservatoire.
from which she was graduated. Once,
while on a visit to Munich, she procured
from a musical library several volumes of
old German songs. In one of these she
found the air of Kathleen Mavourneen.'
note for note. and for some of her friends
sang the English words to the music as
written in the old volume. Though she
we'll understood the German language, the
text of the ancient ballad was in old Ger
man. which she could not read. but the
music was exactly the same as that which
Crouch profesSed to have written. and was
at least a century Old.
THE logic of this dispute is easily re-
solved from the facts as stated. The song
was written and sung nearly half a century
before Crouch was born, ard three-quar-
tiers of a century before he claims TO have
composed it. in 1927.
.One writer, in a notice of the death of
Mr.. Crouch, asserts that the words of the
song were written by the latter. and that
the pretty lyric was founded upon 4 story
of which Mrs. Crawford was the author.
Had the writer referred TO Bartlett's Poet
ical Quotations or Sir George Graves's
Musical Dictionary he would have avoid
ed an exposure of his ignorance"