Page:Notes by the Way.djvu/296

 CHAPTER XI.

��LONGFELLOW. (February 27th, 1807 March 24th, 1882.)

1907, Mar. 16. THE centenary of Longfellow was celebrated on the 27th of Longfellow. February by our brothers in America, and we in Great Britain

have joined hands with them across the seas in rendering tribute

to the most popular of modern English-speaking poets. Frequent

References in references have been made in the pages of ' N. & Q.' to the poet.

' N. & Q.' These began as far back as the ninth volume, when a discussion

arose as to the origin of his name ; and on the 6th of May, 1854,

Mr. James T. Hammack states that

" through the kind assistance of the Registrar-General he is able to give a few of the localities in which the name of Longfellow exists in this country. It appears that there were sixty-one deaths recorded of persons of this name in the years 1838-52 : of these, fifty occurred in the West Riding, thirty-five of these being in Leeds. In the metro- polis there were but seven."

Yorkshire The name is found in the records of Yorkshire as far back as 1486, Longfellows. under the various spellings of Langfellay, Langfellowe, Langfellow, and Longfellow. The first of the name in America was William Longfellow, baptized at Guiseley (the parish church of Horsforth), Oct. 20th, 1650. He went over to Newbury, Massachusetts, about 1676.

��The poet's father.

��His first poem.

��The poet's father was the son of Stephen Longfellow, who as Judge of the Common Pleas is remembered as a man of sterling qualities and great integrity. His son inherited from him all that is good, and well maintained the honour of the name. In 1804 he married Zilpah, daughter of General Peleg Wadsworth, who was descended from John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, of Mayflower memory.

Longfellow was only thirteen when his first poem appeared. This was entitled ' The Battle of Lovell's Pond.' It consisted of four verses, and was published in The Portland Gazette on the 17th of November, 1820. At the age of nineteen he came to Europe, and during his three years of travel he gave himself up to the study

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