Henry Clay Work (1832-1884)
Last updated: 05.11.25
Henry Clay Work was an American songwriter and composer of popular songs, born in Middletown, Connecticut and died in Hartford. He was educated in Illinois but later returned to Connecticut taking an apprenticeship as a printer. Self-taught in music and poetry, he is reported to have composed directly whilst typesetting without a manuscript or resorting to a piano. He wrote a large number of patriotic songs during the Civil War, the best known being of course Marching Through Georgia (1865), which later became a jazz standard. His Grandfather's Clock (1876) is known throughout the English-speaking world ever since (and by-the-way, one this old codger's childhood favourites). Another of his songs to a achieve widespread popularity was Ring the Bell, Watchman! (1865) which with a change of lyrics became the almost Australian national anthem Click go the Shears. It was also taken up by English and Scandinavian seamen as Strike the bell.
Besides his music, Work was also an inventor patenting diverse machinations such as a rotary engine, a knitting machine and a walking doll. It is written that he was probably one of only a few of the truly original American popular song composers to invent American popular music style influencing the succeeding generations of songwriters.
Besides his music, Work was also an inventor patenting diverse machinations such as a rotary engine, a knitting machine and a walking doll. It is written that he was probably one of only a few of the truly original American popular song composers to invent American popular music style influencing the succeeding generations of songwriters.
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Henry Clay Work | Biography by wikipedia.org. | |
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DAHR: Henry Clay Work | List of 60 historic recordings from 1894 to 1936. |
Henry Clay Work (1832-1884) has at least 2 item(s) at the Amazons which you can order on-line by clicking the item's order icon.
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Grandfather's Clock Music by: Henry Clay Work. Performed by: Christy Minstrels
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Watching For Pa Music by: Henry Clay Work. Performed by: Christy Minstrels
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| Title (Release Year) | Co-Author(s) | Performers | Issue |
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Grandfather's Clock (1915) | W.V. Brunt Helen Clark |
Edison Blue Amberol: 2526 | |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1911) | Byron George Harlan Joe Parsons |
U.S. Everlasting: 369 | |
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Grandfather's Clock (1905) | Edison Male Quartette | Edison Gold Moulded Record: 8967 | |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1904) | Byron George Harlan F.C. Stanley |
Edison Gold Moulded Record: 8606 | |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1896-1900) | George J. Gaskin | Columbia Phonograph Co.: 4098 | |
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Marching Through Georgia (1896-1900) | Gilmore's Band | Columbia: 1638 | |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1913) | Frederick J. Wheeler as James F. Harrison | Edison Blue Amberol: 1888 | |
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Marching Through Georgia (1909) | Indestructible Military Band | Indestructible Record: 1069 |
| Title | Co-Author(s) | Sequencer |
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Andy Veto (1866) | James Pitt-Payne | |
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Brave Boys Are They! (1861) | Werner Tomaschewski | |
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Come Home, Father (1864) | Benjamin R. Tubb | |
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Grafted Into the Army (1862) | Benjamin R. Tubb | |
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Grandfather's Clock (1876) | Benjamin R. Tubb | |
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Kingdom Coming! (1862) | Unknown | |
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Marching Through Georgia (1865) | Colin McDonald | |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1865) | Unknown | |
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Picture on the Wall (1864), The | Werner Tomaschewski |
| Title (Release Year) | Composer | Performers | Issue |
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Come Home, Father (1864) | H.C. Work | Ollie Bunn Daddy John Love C. Todd |
Victor: BS-102722 |
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Grandfather's Clock (1914) | H.C. Work | W.V. Brunt Helen Clark Walter Scanlan |
Edison: 3278 |
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Katinka (1926) | H.C. Work | Tom Stacks | Brunswick: E2590-E2592 |
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Kingdom Coming! (1916) | H.C. Work | Harry C. Browne | Columbia: 47014 |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1905) | H.C. Work | John W. Myers | Victor: B-2225 |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1914) | H.C. Work | Knickerbocker Quartet | Edison: 3081 |
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Marching Through Georgia (1916) | H.C. Work | Prince's Band | Columbia: 46890 |
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Ship That Never Returned, The (1934) | H.C. Work | Bradley Kincaid | Victor: BS-81386 |
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Ship That Never Returned, The (1925) | H.C. Work | Charles Lewis Stine | Columbia: W140448 |
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Ship That Never Returned, The (1925) | H.C. Work | Vernon Dalhart | Edison: 10586 |
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Thousand Years, A (1918) | H.C. Work | Columbia Mixed Quartette | Columbia: 49425 |
| Title (Release Year) | Performers | Instruments |
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Marching Through Georgia (1865) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | T/T/T+B/B/GB(B) |
| Performer | CD Title | Supplier |
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| Brass Music CDs: | |||
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Rastrick & Brighouse Band | An Evening with Brighouse and Rastrick Band |        |
| Jazz Music CDs: | |||
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Acker Bilk | The Very Best of Acker Bilk | |
| Ragtime Music CDs: | |||
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Various Artists | 100 Favorite Patriotic Songs | |
| Item | Title | Available | € | £ | $ | Other |
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| DBE620 | Marching Through Georgia (1865) - March & Two Step T/T/T+B/B/GB(B), approx. 2¾ mins. |
1-2 days |  |
This list is derived from information provided by Monologues.co.uk which went down sometime in 2023.
The loss of this valuable resource is very sad and a mystery.
The loss of this valuable resource is very sad and a mystery.
| Title | Attribution | Remarks |
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| Grandfather's Clock | Henry Clay Work (words & music) George Formby Sr. (perf.) |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
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Andy Veto (1866) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Sheet Music Singer |  |
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Babylon Is Fallen! (1863) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Greer | Pub. |
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Brave Boys Are They! (1861) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Sheet Music Singer | |
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Come Home, Father (1864) | H.C. Work (w&m) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP Sheet Music Singer |
Pub. |
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Grafted Into the Army (1862) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Sheet Music Singer | Pub. |
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Grandfather's Clock (1876) | H.C. Work (w&m) Sam Lucas (perf.) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP Indiana Sheet Music Singer |
Pub. |
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Kingdom Coming! (1862) | H.C. Work (music) |
Piano, Voice | Indiana Sheet Music Singer |
Pub. |
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⇑Marching Through Georgia (1865) | H.C. Work (w&m) |
Piano, Voice | Greer Indiana |
Pub. |
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Marching Through Georgia - Song (1865) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Sheet Music Singer | Pub. |
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Nellie Lost and Found (1863) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | Greer | Pub. |
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Ring the Bell, Watchman! (1865) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | IMSLP | Pub. |
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Wake Nicodemus (1864) | H.C. Work (music) | Piano, Voice | Indiana | |
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Watching For Pa (1850) | H.C. Work (w&m) | Piano, Voice | IMSLP | |
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We Are Coming, Sister Mary (1853) | H.C. Work (music) Edwin P. Christy (perf.) |
Piano, Voice | Indiana | |
This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 55 works by Henry Clay Work (1832-1884).
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: ER
(w&m)
(w&m)
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Watching For Pa (w&m) | 1850 | Christy Minstrels (perf.) | |
| We Are Coming, Sister Mary | 1853 | Edwin P. Christy (perf.) | |
| Lilly-Willy-Woken | 1855 | |
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| Beautiful Rose | 1861 | ||
| Brave Boys Are They! | 1861 | |
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| Grandmother Told Me So | 1861 | |
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| Lost on the Lady Elgin | 1861 | |
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| Our Captain's Last Words | 1861 | Pub. | |
| First Love Dream | 1862 | ||
| God Save the Nation | 1862 | Pub. | |
| Grafted Into the Army | 1862 | Pub. |
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| ⇑ How Are You Telegraph! | 1862 | ||
| Kingdom Coming! (w&m) | 1862 | Harry C. Browne (perf.) | Pub. |
| Little Major | 1862 | Pub. | |
| Uncle Joe's Hail Columbia | 1862 | Pub. | |
| We'll Go Down Ourselves | 1862 | Pub. |
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
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| Babylon Is Fallen! | 1863 | |
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| Days When We Were Young, The | 1863 | Pub. | |
| Girls at Home, The | 1863 | Pub. | |
| Nellie Lost and Found | 1863 | Pub. |
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| Sleeping For the Flag | 1863 | ||
| Song of a Thousand Years | 1863 | Pub. | |
| Thousand Years, A (w&m) | 1863 | Columbia Mixed Quartette (perf.) | |
| Watching For Pa | 1863 | Christy Minstrels (perf.) |  Pub. |
| Columbia's Guardian Angels | 1864 | ||
| Come Home, Father (w&m) | 1864 | Ollie Bunn (perf.) Daddy John Love (perf.) Clarence Todd (perf.) |
Pub. |
| Corporal Schnapps | 1864 | Pub. | |
| ⇑ Picture on the Wall, The (w&m) | 1864 | ||
| Wake Nicodemus | 1864 | Pub. |
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| Washington and Lincoln | 1864 | ||
| Just Before the Battle Mother | 1865 | |
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| Marching Through Georgia | 1865 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) Gilmore's Band (perf.) Indestructible Military Band (perf.) Prince's Band (perf.) |
Pub. |
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Marching Through Georgia - Song | 1865 | George J. Gaskin (perf.) Byron George Harlan (perf.) Knickerbocker Quartet (perf.) John W. Myers (perf.) Joe Parsons (perf.) Frank C. Stanley (perf.) Frederick J. Wheeler as James F. Harrison (perf.) |
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| Now Moses | 1865 | Pub. | |
| Ring the Bell, Watchman! (w&m) | 1865 | Pub. |
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| Tis Finished | 1865 | Pub. | |
| Andy Veto | 1866 | Pub. |
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| Lillie of the Snowstorm | 1866 | Pub. | |
| Poor Kitty Popcorn | 1866 | Pub. | |
| Who Shall Rule This American Nation? | 1866 | Pub. | |
| Come Back to the Farm! | 1867 | Pub. | |
| Dad's a Millionaire | 1867 | ||
| Buckskin Bag of Gold | 1869 | ||
| ⇑ Crossing the Grand Sierras | 1870 | Pub. | |
| Take Them Away! They'll Drive Me Crazy | 1871 | |
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| Grandfather's Clock (w&m) | 1876 | Walter Van Brunt (perf.) Christy Minstrels (perf.) Helen Clark (perf.) Edison Male Quartette (perf.) Burl Ives (perf.) Leonard Keller (perf.) Evelyn Knight (perf.) Sam Lucas (perf.) Walter Scanlan (perf.) George Formby Sr. (perf.) |
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| Phantom Footsteps | 1876 | ||
| Touch the Sleeping Strings Again | 1876 |
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
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| Used-Up Joe | 1876 | |
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| King Bibler's Army | 1877 | |
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| Shadows on the Floor | 1877 | Jennie Morgan (perf.) | |
| Sequel to Grandfather's Clock | 1878 | |
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| Ship That Never Returned, The (w&m) | 1884 | Vernon Dalhart (perf.) Bradley Kincaid (perf.) Charles Lewis Stine (perf.) |
Pub. |
| Bring the Good Old Bugle, Boys | 1885 | ||
| Katinka (w&m) | 1926 | Tom Stacks (perf.) | |
| Composer | Title | Performer |
|---|
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H.C. Work | Grandfather's Clock (2:23) | Burl Ives |