Francis James Child

• Born: February 01, 1825, Boston, MA
• Died: September 11, 1896, Boston, MA
• Genres: Folk
• Instrument: Song Research

Biography

Francis J. Child's five-volume work, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898), is considered by many as the canon of folk music, consisting of his exhaustive research on over 300 traditional folk ballads. Child also investigated and collected songs and stories in other languages that were related to the English and Scottish ballads, making his research international in scope and covering 37 languages. By focusing on the history of the words and themes rather than music, Child was able to find deeper connections, tracing the stories from America back to their European origins.

Born in Boston in early 1825, Child's family was poor but through the generosity of a local benefactor he attended Harvard, graduating first in his class in 1846. Throughout his tenure as a professor at his alma mater, he collected ballad books in many languages, and through his efforts the Harvard library came to be known as one of the largest folklore collections in existence.

In 1893 Child was in a carriage accident, worsening his already unstable health, and he eventually died on September 11, 1896. His English and Scottish Popular Ballads remains the standard all other works are measured by due to his exhaustive research and remarkable attention to detail. His work inspired succeeding generations, including manic collector Harry Smith and folklorist/performer Jean Ritchie. While Child's work is of interest to scholars, it is no less interesting or valuable to hobbyists and musicians. It is a unique work that endures and inspires anyone with an interest in music history. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide