old time music hall song about a golly

Subject: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Sammi a.
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 11:34 AM

Hello all. this is a bit vague of me but as a child my nan who was around in the first world war, used to sing a song about a Golly or a dolly who went to the river to wash. i think it went something like this-: Miss Golly had a dolly who went to the river to wash wash wash.

Not a lot to go on im afraid (its sort of locked up in my memory as i was only four when she died,) Nobody in the family can remember it. i dont know if the Black and white minstrels ever did a version of this either as obviously in to-days society its politically unexceptable.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Emma B
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 12:10 PM

There is a nursery rhyme Miss Polly had a dolly

This was sung as a song with actions - there is little girl performing these on you tube

It's possible your nan added another action verse or two - as she felt necessary :)

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 02:35 PM

Very charming — except that I didn't quite catch the little girl's final words or the significance of her actions. Was someone smacking the poor sick dolly? If so, who; & what for? If not, what do those gestures signify?

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Paul Burke
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 03:28 PM

My mother used to sing a song which I can only remember part of:

I've a little black dolly named Topsy
Who doesn't like sleeping alone,
For she is afraid of white bogies
Though I'm perfectly sure there are none.

But Topsy is only a dolly
And doesn't know better you see,
So I just tuck her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

And when the sun shines in the morning
I sing till I think she's awake,
Then I take her down to the water
And give her a bath in the lake.

I think there was another verse which concerned being unable to clean the blackness off her, so it's probably a mercy that I've forgotten it.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Oct 09 - 04:15 PM

A little more-

I've a little black dolly named Topsy
Who doesn't like sleeping alone,
For Topsy's afraid of the shadows,
In darkness I'm sure there are none.
But Topsy is only a dolly
And doesn't know better you see,
So I just tuck her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

And when the sun shines in the morning
I sing until I know she's awake.
Then I take her right out in the garden
And give her a bath in the lake.

Though I scrub her and scrub her and scrub her,
I can't get her white like me.
But Topsy is blacker than ever
And shiny as shiny can be.
So I'll just pop her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

Taken from one of the versions on the internet. A couple of lines seem to be missing, the verses aren't even. I remember that it was in a children's story and rhyme book that I had as a child. No idea of author or age.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Selchie - (RH)
Date: 11 Oct 09 - 07:26 AM

From my childhood I remember it as

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick
So she sent for the doctor to come quick quick quick
The doctor came and he shook his head
And he said "You'd better get her into bed"
The he wrote her a note for to get her a pill
"I'll be back in the morning with my bill bill bill."

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST,Snuffy on Selchie's PC
Date: 11 Oct 09 - 07:57 AM

Oops! That last post was actually me, at Selchie's. I forgot to log out before posting.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST,Doug M
Date: 13 Apr 11 - 03:47 PM

I'm trying to find the origins and history of "Miss Polly Had A Dolly". Does anybody know anything about this nursery rhyme, other than that it is also known as "Miss Molly Had A Dolly"?

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Apr 11 - 01:46 PM

I'd see that song about the dolly called Topsy as implicitly anti-colour prejudice, especially in the context of the period.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jan 12 - 09:36 AM

i have a black dolly named topsy,
she's as black as black be,
i wash her and wash her but i can't get her white like me.

and when the sun shines in the morning,
we go on down to the stream,
i wash her and wash her but i can't get her white like me.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: RTim
Date: 03 Jan 12 - 10:46 AM

I had a Golly when I was very young (in the 1950's) - but I pulled out all its hair.
So one night my Mum crept into my room and took it from me as I slept and that night
she carefully knitted new hair and put it back before I woke up.

The next morning I woke up and was the only child in the World
who had a Golly with NAVY BLUE hair!!!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: poem
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 09:09 PM

My wife part remembers a poem from her chilhood about doll that was lost on the heath.
The first lines went.
I lost my dear little doll dears,
As I played on the heath one day,
And I mourned for her more than a week dears
But never could find where she lay

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 07:53 PM

Regarding my request I am pleased to say that I have now found the poem and it is one by Charles Kingsley.
Thankyou
The Little Doll

        
~Charles Kingsley

I once had a sweet little doll, dears,
The prettiest doll in the world;
Her cheeks were so red and so white; dears,
And her hair was so charmingly curled.

But I lost my poor little doll, dears,
As I played in the heath one day;
And I cried for her more than a week, dears;
But I never could find where she lay.

I found my poor little doll, dears,
As I played in the heath one day:
Folks say she is terrible changed, dears,
For her paint is all washed away,
And her arm trodden off by the cows, dears,
And her hair not the least bit curled:
Yet for old sakes' sake she is still, dears,
The prettiest doll in the world.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 19 - 08:11 AM

Topsy - Nan's Song

C I had a little dolly named Topsy
Who G does not like sleeping C alone
'Cause C dolly's afraid of white shadows
Though I'm G perfectly sure there are C none
But F Topsy is only a C dolly
And F doesn't know better you G see
So I C just put her under my pillow
For I know she likes G sleeping C with me

And C when I get up in the morning
I G sing til I think she's C awake
Then C I take her out in the garden
And G give her a bath in the C lake
As F Topsy is only a C dolly
And as F shiny as shiny can G be
Tho I C wash her and wash her and wash her
I can't make her G white like C me

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: GUEST,Lynne
Date: 06 Jul 21 - 10:40 PM

I've a little black dolly named Topsy
Who doesn't like sleeping alone,
For Topsy's afraid of white bogies
Though I’m perfectly sure there are none
But Topsy is only a dolly
And frightened as frightened can be
So I just tuck her under my pillow
For I know she likes sleeping with me.

And when the I wake up in the morning
I sing til I think she's awake.
Then I take her right out in the garden
And give her a bath in the lake.
But Topsy is blacker than ever
And shiny as shiny can be.
Though I wash her and wash her and wash her,
I can't get her white like me.

Subject: RE: old time music hall song about a golly
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 07 Jul 21 - 06:34 AM

Interesting thread with all sorts of suggestions. Going back to the OP I would say the first rhyme offered is the most likely fit to what the OP asked for.

Miss *olly had a dolly who..... and then the 3 repeats certainly fits the well-known song. Having said well-known I can't find it under any of the most likely titles in my extensive children's rhyme index.

Anyway here's what I can remember.

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick
She sent for the doctor to be quick quick quick
The doctor came with his bag and his hat
And he knocked on the door with a rat a tat tat.
He looked at Miss Polly and he shook his head
And told Miss Polly put her into bed
He wrote on his paper for a pill. pill, pill,
I'll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill.

The tune has some affinity with the dance tune 'The Morpeth Rant' and also the theme to The South Bank Show (UK TV)