Chime Child

"They that be born of a Friday’s chime

Be masters of musick and finders of rhyme,

And every beast will do what they say,

And every herb that do grow in the clay,

They do see what they see and hear what they hear,

But they never do tell in a hundred year"

I came across a reference to a chime child while reading a charming story, In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll.  It tells the story of young girl who is chosen by the faeries to save their wood from destruction mainly because she was a chime child.

It’s not an expression I have heard of before, which is surprising as I have been researching         folklore for many years, so having an  inquiring  mind I decided to do a little digging!

On closer inspection the phrase ‘chime child’ seems to have been coined by Ruth Tongue 1898 – 1981- a well know Somerset folklorist albeit one with a bit of a troubled reputation. She claimed that she herself was a chime child, being born  during the chime hours on a Friday night but records indicate she was born on a Monday so this has been disproved.

According to Ruth a chime child is one born during "potent ghostly hours" which are from Friday at midnight to cockcrow on Saturday morning. 

Other sources suggests it is during the hours which correspond with the chiming of bells marking the hours of monastic prayer at 8pm, midnight and 4 am although according to the folklore society midday should also be included.

And according to Ruth

A chime child had special abilities being able to,

"see the dead and the fairies, and speak with them but come to no harm – such encounters must never be sought"

"have immunity from all ill-wishing, as many of the clergy have"

"love and control all animals – so chime children often become herdsmen or veterinary surgeons"; and

"have a knowledge of herbs and a way of healing others"

It was Ruth’s claim that being a chime child herself people would talk openly and freely to her about fairy  lore. It was this ability that allowed her to collect many stories and folklore from her acquaintances in Somerset. 

Unfortunately for Ruth critics have called into question the reliability of her ‘collected’ folklore, stating  much of it was fabricated

The term ‘chime hours’ originated in the north of England  not Somerset, giving rise to the tradition that a child born during this time would have special powers although what these were was unclear.

Whether she drew upon the many old legends surrounding the ringing of church bells to create the lore of a ‘chime child’  is anybody’s guess ... and why let the truth get in the way of a good story!