Category: Recreation: Music

Compiled and written by Danny Howell, this article was first published in The Illustrated Warminster And District Miscellany, Volume One (Bedeguar Books, May 1996):

“The vly be on the turmuts, but there bain’t no vlies on I,” was once (and still is for some) the proud boast of every born and bred Moonraker. It is, of course, a line from the chorus of the signature tune of the Wiltshire Regiment. The Vly Be On The Turmuts, which was one of the regimental marches of the county’s soldiers, assumed the elevated status of being the “Wiltshire Anthem.” The song was often heard in Warminster, particularly in earshot of Stationmaster John Robert Lane, but why? A delve into his past and his wife’s family history reveals an interesting connection.

John Robert Lane was born in Quetta, India, when his father was an N.C.O. in the Wiltshire Regiment stationed there. The family lived at Heytesbury, where Mr. Lane senior is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s.

John Lane was employed on the railway since leaving school. He started at Warminster Station as a booking clerk but was later employed in the Railways Section of the Royal Naval Dockyard at Weymouth. He subsequently worked at Warminster, Trowbridge and other stations, becoming a relief stationmaster for the Warminster district prior to his appointment as Stationmaster at Heytesbury. After a period as Stationmaster at Martock in Somerset he took up the position of Stationmaster at Warminster on 1 November 1953, succeeding Mr. W.H. Gray.

John Lane was an expert in the automatic traffic control system relating to the rail network and spent many years making a close study of problems which had to be overcome with the system. He attended a number of significant conferences, in London, which dealt with the subject. During the Second World War he was a stalwart member of the Home Guard. A member of the local Chamber Of Trade he was keenly interested in suggestions for attracting tourism to the town.

It was while he he was employed at Trowbridge that he met his wife to be, who was formerly a Miss Hilda King. Her father was killed on active service during the First World War and her mother eventually re-married and emigrated to Australia. Hilda was brought up by her grandparents who lived at Adcroft Villa, Trowbridge. Hilda’s grandfather, John King, was a woollen manufacturer and his wife ran a drapery business, known as King’s Varieties, which was situated at the corner of Fore Street, near the entrance to the Park and almost opposite Trowbridge Town Hall.

John King had a reputation as a pleasing singer and concert performer. He found fame locally as the composer of the Wiltshire Regiment’s most rousing military march The Vly Be On The Turmuts. It was originally intended as a a country folk song but became popular with Wiltshire’s fighting men after the Bandmaster of the Wiltshire Regiment, who was at the time a great friend of John King’s, heard it, liked it and asked permission to orchestrate it as a march.

Hilda Lane was widely known because of her dancing classes, with students throughout Wiltshire. She had many friends at Westbury, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Bath, as well as at Warminster. She worked as chief clerk for Warminster solicitors Messrs. Wakeman & Bain for many years. She was a trustee of the Warren Almshouses at Portway and gave help to the local youth movement in its early days. Unfortunately she became ill for some time and had to undergo treatment at Southampton Hospital and Harnwood Hospital, Salisbury. She died at Harnwood Hospital on 19 January 1959. She was 58. She willed her body to Dr. Graham Campbell for transmission to the Medical Research Unit at Bristol. A memorial service for Hilda Lane was held at St. John’s Church, Boreham Road, Warminster, on Saturday 24 January 1959.

John Lane, who lived at Fieldview, 2 Chancery Lane, Warminster, was in the habit of taking an evening constitutional, sometimes stopping to enjoy a glass of ale with friends at the Rose & Crown pub, East Street. It was in the yard of the Rose & Crown that he collapsed on the evening of Thursday 31 August 1961. Medical aid was summoned but he died the following morning. He was 57. His funeral was held at St. John’s and was followed by cremation at Salisbury. He was survived by two sons: Michael, who lived at Silver Street and farmed in the district; and David, who was at the Castle Garage, Nunney.

John Lane never ceased to be proud and pleased at the honour shown to him and his wife with regard The Vly Be On The Turmuts. The Wiltshire Regimental Band never forgot the composer of the lyrics and the haunting melody and they loved to play it for his family and in-laws. Whenever the band had to parade on the platform of Warminster Station they always broke into the famous march especially for Mr. Lane. Likewise, on occasions such as when Mrs. Lane was in the audience at a keep-fit demonstration at Warminster Town football ground the band played the march in her honour.

The tune was published by Henry Millington, a bearded gentleman, of Trowbridge. Millington, who was born at Bath in 1840, was the eldest son of William Millington, a landscape and architectural artist who did much towards the development of lithography. The family included many musicians and was connected for a century with Chester Cathedral as vicars choral or lay vicars.

Henry Millington was “a musician through and through….. a leader of all things that pertained to the love and culture of music…” and “…. a performer of great ability.” As a pianist and organist he excelled but his repertoire included numerous other instruments including the side drum. At one time he was in the Trowbridge saxhorn band. He also founded and ran a musical union.

His first appointment was as organist at the Conigre Chapel, Trowbridge, which he held for several years but at the request of the Rector the Rev. J.D. Hastings he transferred to Trowbridge Parish Church where he was organist and choirmaster for 43 years. He performed his duties with great zeal and ability, resigning from the post in 1906.

As a bandmaster and conductor his record was a notable one. To begin with he took charge of the Trowbridge Rifle Corps Band but was soon appointed to the 1st Wiltshire V.R.C. and later became bandmaster of the Western Counties’ Volunteer Brigade. The band once played at a garden party for the Duke Of Albany during the time when he had taken up temporary residence at Boyton Manor. Millington also played for the Kaiser, Frederick William, at the Jubilee Review at Windsor. On that occasion he played a selection from Rossini.

A former pupil of Chevalier Lemmens, Millington was a brilliant performer on the Mustel organ and later possessed the original instrument which Lemmens entertained the public with. Millington had also been, in the early 1860s, a pianoforte student of Mr. Julius – later Sir Julius Benedict – and through him came into contact not only with composers but also many famous celebrities including Charles Dickens and Thackeray.

Millington was a prominent freemason and was appointed on six occasions to the position of Provincial Grand Organist for the Province of Wilts. He was the local examiner for the Royal College Of Music and the composer of many pieces, particularly for military bands. He certainly provided the Volunteers with a marching tune which lived on and was later associated with the 4th Wilts T.A. (as the former Volunteers became).

Henry Millington died at Avon View, Trowbridge, on the morning of Sunday 3 September 1911. He was 70.

Let’s end this article with a final word about Hilda Lane’s grandfather, John King. Although he is said to have written the words and composed the tune of The Vly Be On The Turmuts, it is more probable that he adapted a traditional song and tune rather than it being a truly original composition, as shown by the words and music which are reproduced here: