Broadsheet ballad titled 'Travelling Home to Heaven'.

Publisher T. Swan Printer (British)

Date1830 -1870

Object number00017450

NameBroadsheet

MediumWoodcut engraving and printed text on paper mounted on card.

DimensionsOverall: 222 x 141 mm, 0.024 kg

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA broadsheet hymn titled 'Travelling Home to Heaven'. Most likely written by the English reverend Richard Jukes in around 1836 - 1842. There are numerous variations of this hymn and it can also be known as 'Will You Go".HistoryTRAVELLING HOME TO HEAVEN. We're travelling home to Heaven above, Will you go? To sing the Saviour's dying love, Will you go? Millions have reached that healthful shore, Their toils and labours all o'er, But still there's room for millions more, Will you go? We'er going to walk the plains of light, To where there's no more curse or night, The crown of life we then shall wear, The conqueror's palm we then shall bear, And the joys of heaven shall share, We're going to see the bleeding lamb, In rapturous songs to praise his name, Our sun shall there no more go down, Our moon no more will be withdrawn, Our days of mourning past and gone, The way to heaven is free for all, For Jew and Gentile, great and small, Make no delay, give God your hearts, With every sin and idol part, And now for glory make a start, The way to heaven is straight and plain, repent, believe, be born again, The Saviour cries aloud for thee, Take up thy cross and follow me, And thou shalt my salvation see, Come and go, come and go. Oh! could I hear some sinner say: I will go! I will go! I'll start this moment, clear the way, Let me go, let me go: My old companions, fare you well, I will not go with you to Hell, I mean with Jesus Christ to dwell, Here I go, here I go. Broadsheet rhymes and verses were the cheapest prints available during the 18th and 19th century. They were sold by street sellers known as Flying Stationers, who charged a minimal fee of a penny or half-penny. They featured popular songs that were often sung in homes, inns and taverns and covered a range of themes relating to contemporary events or stories. Printed alongside the songs were woodcut illustrations. Most of the broadsheet publishers did not date or mark their works, making it difficult to pinpoint when they were produced. The publication of ballads was part of the commemoration and production of material about shipwrecks. Ships were part of the everyday life in the 19th century and stories about their voyages, wrecks, record breaking voyages and commissions often featured in newspapers and commemorative souvenirs.SignificanceBroadsheets were designed as printed ephemera to be published and distributed rapidly. This also meant they were quickly disposed of with many of them not surviving the test of time. The museum's broadsheet collection is therefore a rare and valuable example of how maritime history was communicated to a wide audience, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. They vibrantly illustrate many of the themes and myths surrounding life at sea. Some of them also detail stories about transportation, migration.