A Remembrance Of Percy French
Report by B Wagstaff and C Trollope

IT was a sun-drenched Spring morning on 2 May 2009 when the Vicar, The Rev’d. Harvie Nicol, of St Lukes Church in Formby and a group of about thirty people, gathered by the grave of Percy French. The group was there to remember his birthday, as well as laying a specially commissioned wreath, from the Percy French Society in Ireland, in order to remember his many talents. Percy French was and stil is a well-loved, long remembered, Irish composer, entertainer, poet, artist, and song-writer. He was born in Cloonyquin, County Roscommon, Ireland, in 1854, and "Willie", as his friends called him, entered Trinity College, Dublin in 1872 to study Civil Engineering. However, in 1873 he changed to Arts. In 1876 he obtained his B.A. degree. The following year, 1877, he wrote a very successful song:- "Abdulla Bulbul Ameer". Then in 1881, he was awarded his B.Eng. degree. While he was visiting his brother, he was taken ill and died in Formby, Merseyside, in 1920. As there was not enough money to pay for his body to be shipped back home to Ireland, he was buried at St Luke’s Church, Formby. Percy was a great lover of nature and it seemed appropriate that here he lies in such a peaceful setting, surrounded by bluebells and primroses, and with the birds singing their Spring songs. One of Percy’s songs, ‘The Mountains of Mourne’ was played on a traditional Irish instrument, the Sqeeze Box, one of his short poems was read, and another of his songs was sung by an unaccompanied singer. It all blended in so well with the idyllic setting. Afterwards those attending enjoyed a cup of tea and potato cakes in the Meeting Room, in the Churchyard.

External links of interest:- Wikipedia; The Percy French Society;
St Luke's Church Website