Bayly was born in
Bath on 13 October 1797, the only child of Nathaniel Bayly, an influential citizen of Bath: he was related through his mother to the Earls of
Stamford and
Warrington and the
Baroness le Despencer. He displayed a talent for verse from a young age, and in his eighth year was found dramatising a tale out of one of his story-books. He attended
Winchester School, where he produced a weekly newspaper which recorded the proceedings of the master and pupils in the school. At the age of 17 he began working at his father's office for the purpose of studying the law, but soon devoted himself to writing humorous articles for the public journals, and produced a small volume entitled
Rough Sketches of Bath. He studied at
St Mary Hall, Oxford with the intention of joining the church, but it is reported that "he did not apply himself to the pursuit of academical honours" and left university after three years. Bayly travelled in
Scotland, and afterwards visited
Dublin, where he distinguished himself in private theatricals and achieved his earliest successes as a ballad writer. Bayly returned to London in January 1824 and married the daughter of Mr. Benjamin Hayes, of Marble Hill,
County Cork in 1826. The profits from his literary works were considerable, and his income was increased by his wife's dowry. While the young couple were staying in
Bitterne, Hampshire, Bayly wrote the song "I'd Be a Butterfly", which became immediately popular. Not long afterwards he produced a three-volume novel,
The Aylmers; a second tale,
A Legend of Killarney, written during a visit to that part of Ireland; and numerous songs and ballads, which appeared in two volumes, named respectively
Loves of the Butterflies and
Songs of the Old Château. After relocating from Bath to London, Bayly dedicated his time to writing ballads and pieces for the stage. The play
Perfection, written during a journey by stagecoach from Bath to London and now regarded as his best dramatic work, was declined by many theatrical managers, but ultimately
Madame Vestris produced it and appeared in it.
Lord Chesterfield, who was present on the first night, declared that he never saw a better farce. The play became a great favourite at private theatricals, and on one occasion it was produced with a cast including the
Marchioness of Londonderry and
Lord Castlereagh. By 1831 Bayly and his wife were experiencing financial difficulties. He had invested his wife's dowry in coal mines, which proved unproductive. The agent who managed Mrs. Bayly's property in Ireland failed to provide satisfactory accounts. A replacement agent ultimately made the property pay, but these financial difficulties, combined with poor physical health, had a detrimental effect on Bayly's creativity. During a trip to France to convalesce, he was able to recover sufficiently to write the poem
The Bridesmaid, which drew a flattering letter from Sir
Robert Peel. Bayly regained his productivity, and in a short time he wrote thirty-six dramatic pieces. However, By 1837 he had begun to suffer from a range of serious medical conditions. His novel
Weeds of Witchery, published that year, led a French critic to describe him as the
Anacreon of English romance. In the same year he wrote
Kindness in Women, a three-volume collection consisting of a double novel
Kate Leslie and an independent tale
David Dumps, Or, The Budget of Blunders. They were published by
Richard Bentley. He developed
dropsy and
jaundice, and he died on 22 April 1839. He was buried at
Cheltenham, his epitaph being written by his friend
Theodore Hook. Bayly played the harmonica, guitar, and banjo. ==Songs==