{\b Henry Carey}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: c. 1687 (exact date uncertain)

{\b Date of Death}.: 4 October 1743

{\b Works}.

English poet and playwright. He wrote the words and music for many farces, 
operas and burlesques, including The Honest Yorkshire-Man (1735), The Dragon 
of Wantley (1737) and Chrononhotonthologos (1734), billed as 'the Most 
Tragical Tragedy that ever was tragediz'd'. His poetry and songs appeared in 
Poems on Several Occasions (1713) and The Musical Century (1737). The most 
famous of his ballads is 'Sally in Our Alley'.

{\b Featured Works}.

'Sally in Our Alley'.

{\b General Comment}.

Henry Carey is thought to have been the illegitimate son of George Savile, the 
Marquess of Halifax. He was educated at his mother's school and went to London 
to earn his living.

His writing proved very popular, and his plays and burlesques of Italian 
operas were frequently performed. Unfortunately they were also pirated 
extensively, so that Carey received little of the profits which accrued from 
his work. He made some money as a music teacher in boarding schools, but he 
was often very poor. The author of numerous mock-dramas, Carey's life ended in 
genuine tragedy when he hung himself in 1743, leaving a widow and four children.

In addition to writing the still-popular 'Sally in the Alley', Carey invented 
the term 'Namby-Pamby' in an insulting poem about Ambrose Philips; he later 
complained that people thought these poems were too good to be his own work. 
Another dispute arose after Carey's death, when his son claimed him as the 
author of 'God Save the Queen' - the argument has never been conclusively 
settled.