Alfred Williams didn't write the words, though they were taken from his book Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames (1923), where the song appeared as The Ripe and Bearded Barley.  He commented, "Popular at Stanton Harcourt, where I obtained it of Henry Serman, a farm hand".

Williams published only the texts of the songs he had collected; he intended to return for the tunes at a later date, but was never able to.

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