Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight is a narrative poem by Rose Hardwick Thorpe, written in 1867 and set in the 17th century. It was written when she was 16 years old and first published in Detroit Commercial Advertiser
The story involves Bessie, a young woman whose lover, Basil Underwood, has been arrested, thrown in prison by the Puritans and sentenced to die that night when the curfew bell rings. Knowing that Oliver Cromwell will be late in arriving, the young woman begs the old sexton to prevent the ringing of the curfew bell. When he refuses, she climbs to the top of the bell tower and heroically risks her life by manually stopping the bell from ringing. Cromwell hears of her deed and is so moved that he issues a pardon for Underwood.
The poem was set to music in 1895, by Stanley Hawley and published as sheet music by Robert Cooks and Co
The song “Hang on the Bell, Nellie” was originally performed by the Chad Mitchell Trio