Victorian Limericks

Back in the 1920s an author known only as “R.D.” produced several books of Victorian magazine illustrations to which he’d appended limericks, some of which he’d composed himself (as in his first such book, Less Eminent Victorians, published in 1927) and some of which were chosen from submissions by readers, as in Several Occasions for Poems by Persons of Quality and its follow-up Poems Upon Several Occasions by Persons of Quality, both of which compilations quickly followed the first. Submissions were encouraged by the offer of prizes of £5, £3 and £2 for the first three prizewinners, and ten shillings to each of the remaining. Here are a selection: The old man of Belfast The young man of Tulat The young lady of Sark The young bridesmaid of Frome The old man who said: “Curse!”

There was an old man of Belfast Whose daughter turned papist at last: In their volume and range His remarks on the change Have never as yet been surpassed.

There was a young man of Tulat Whose friends would collapse in his flat. He said: “I’m afraid It’s the fault of the maid; She will polish under the mat.”

There was a young lady of Sark Who said: “It is just growing dark. To the mind of a ‘copper’ Our conducts’s improper: We’d better get out of the park.”

There was a young bridesmaid of Frome

Who thought as she entered the room, “If my efforts to please Are restricted to these, I shall have to elope with the groom.”

There was an old man who said: “Curse! There’s the chauffeur embracing my nurse. If it weren’t for my gout I’d get up and go out, But I’m afraid of making it worse.”

There will be more of these to come on Victorian Lines but in the meantime, as R.D. himself said at the end of the third volume: “Although no more prizes can be offered, there is much amusement to be derived from the invention of original Limericks to fit the illustrations.” Feel free to share yours with me.

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