Jingle Bells

I went to a little Christmas party in Malden, Massachusetts last night. Earlier in the day a couple of co-workers mentioned that the song "Jingle Bells" had been inspired by sleigh rides between Malden and Medford. Here is an excerpt from a web site that explains altenative histories of the origin of the song: One day in 1851, James Pierpont went to the home of Mrs. Otis Waterman, who let him play a piano belonging to William Webber, a Medford music teacher. Mrs. Waterman owned the Seccomb boardinghouse, which became better known later as the Simpson Tavern and was eventually torn down [hence the origin of the story that Pierpont wrote the song in a tavern]. After he played the piece for her, Mrs. Waterman replied was that it was a very merry little jingle, and he should have a lot of success with it. Pierpont then wrote the lyrics about the one-horse open sleighs – also known as "cutters" - that young men raced on the one mile route from Medford to Malden squares. It has been said that Pierpont was a rebellious musician with a bad reputation. To underscore the point, Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn has been quoted as saying: "James Pierpont was a bit of a rogue." The Mayor evidently had a gift for the understatement. (See www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Biographies/james_lord_pierpont.htm)