Things start to go downhill from now on. There is an unexpected break in his 'Grand Tour', some of the performers leave, there are no more new songs. Finally....

"Death of Harry Clifton

Lovers of song and seekers after rational amusement in all parts of the kingdom will hear with regret the death of Harry Clifton, whose fame as a comic and 'inotto' vocalist was world-wide, and whose songs were equally as popular and acceptable in the drawing-room of the rich as in the cottages of the poor. Harry Clifton died on Monday last at his residence, Shepherds Bush, at the early age of forty. His health had been gradually giving way for some months, but he did not take to the bed from which he was never to rise again until the Friday immediately preceeding his death.

Mr Clifton was a native of Hoddesden, in Hertfordshire, and was educated at Cheshunt. At an early age he was left an orphan, and soon afterwards left home to seek a maintenance by the exercise of his own energy.

.................

The deceased was buried on Thursday, at Kensal-green Cemetery."
July 21 1872


"The cause of death was dropsy."
Glasgow Herald, July 21 1872


"Miss Fanny Edwards (Mrs H Clifton) accompanied by the celebrated company of the late Mr Harry Clifton, are achieving unequivocal success."
Oct 13 1872


"The Late Harry Clifton

The will of this well-known composer and comic singer is to be opposed by his widow, Mrs Mary Ann Clifton, an application having been made to the Probate Court on Tuesday morning before the Registrars for directions. It appeared that the testator had lived apart form his wife and by his will bequeathed his property of the value of £6000 to Miss Frances Edwards, who had travelled with him as one of his company."
Dundee Courier, Nov 17 1872


Unfortunately, I don't know what the outcome of the challenge was (a check of the London Probate records should give the answer). Fanny, or "Mrs Harry Clifton" as she called herself, carried on with the show until 1876. Hopwood and Crew, his publishers, obviously suffered financially after his death and they ran periodic 'half price sales' of his works:

"Harry Clifton's celebrated Motto songs

'Trifles light as air'
'Welcome as the flowers in May'
'As long as the world goes round'
'Don't be after ten'
'Could I live my time over again'
'Always do as I do'"
The Graphic, Nov 22 1873


And a few years later sold off the copyright of some of his songs:

'As welcome as the flowers in May' (£72)
'It's really very singular' (£82-10s)
'Pulling hard against the stream' (£67-10s)
'Robinson Crusoe' (£132)
'Very suspicious' (£330)
Penny Illustrated Paper, Feb 20 1875


And that's about it. I have NO DOUBT that I have missed things - the search engine, though extremely helpful, is not 100% accurate (I found several entries by accident that the search had missed) - and of course, I am only human (no, really), so I will have made mistakes. Still, I think we know more about Harry now than we did before.

I am now going to lie down.