Interesting notes:The 'Great Bells of Bow' were used to time the executions at Newgate prison, which for many years were done by means of beheading. The unfortunate victim would await execution on 'Death Row' and was informed by the warder, the night before the execution ' here comes the candle to light you to bed' of their imminent fate and to make their peace with God! The executions commenced when the bells started chiming at nine o'clock in the morning. When the bells stopped chiming then the executions would be finished until the following day!

To see the actions for this nursery rhyme, click here.

There is also a fuller (but less known) version of this rhyme:

Gay go up, and gay go down
To ring the bells of London Town
Bull's eyes and targets
Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's
Brickbats and tiles
Say the bells of St. Giles'
Oranges and lemons
Say the bells of St. Clement's
Pancakes and fritters/(Old shoes and slippers)
Say the bells of St. Peter's
Two sticks and an apple
Say the bells at Whitechapel
Old Father Baldpate
Say the slow bells at Aldgate
Maids in white aprons
Say the bells at St Catherine's
Pokers and tongs
Say the bells of St. John's
Kettles and pans
Say the bells of St. Anne's
Halfpence and farthings
Say the bells of St. Martin's
When will you pay me?
Say the bells at Old Bailey
When I grow rich
Say the bells at Shoreditch
Pray, when will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
I do not know
Says the great bell at Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head

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