Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth / Nancy from London

Subject: Nancy from London
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Feb 01 - 06:52 PM

A song I learned centuries ago, the tune is of the same name.

All I remember is that it starts:

It's Nancy from London, from fair England's stream
She's courted young William, he's come from the sea.

Any suggestions? I've tried the DT, but come up with nothing like the one.

Thanks

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Feb 01 - 06:56 PM

And the tune is called Nancy of Yarmouth, just to confuse the issue.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Nemesis
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 05:01 AM

The one I know is "Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth" - just looked thought I had the words - but only on cassette - will look it out for you. This is on the B list of our repertoire as the harmonies are NOT easy!! Will get back to you. But have you tried the "lyric search?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: wes.w
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 08:54 AM

LTS/Challis -
First verse:

Pretty Nancy from Yarmouth, she's my own hearts delight,
and a long and kind letter unto her I did write,
all for to inform her what we are to undergo,
while sailing on the ocean where stormy winds blow

LTS:Anything like that?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Wolfgang
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 09:07 AM

'Jimmy and Nancy' in the DT?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Feb 01 - 10:20 AM

There is more than one story involved.  (Pretty) Nancy of Yarmouth, also called The Sea Storm (Roud 407) is about, well, a storm at sea.  Peter Bellamy sang it with the Young Tradition, but the text had been re-written (by him, I think?) retaining the traditional first verse and then going on to tell a quite different story.  See:

Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth  DT file; text and tune; taken from a book I've never seen, but transcribed from Bellamy's singing, I suspect, rather than from any traditional source.  Could be wrong, mind.

For Sea Storm texts, see these at the  Bodleian Library Broadside Collection.:

Nancy of Yarmouth  Printed between 1819 and 1844 by J. Pitts of Seven Dials, London.
Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth  Printed by J.V. Quick of Clerkenwell, London.

Roy Palmer (Bushes and Briars, 1983/99) considers the original to have been Pretty Nancy of London, in Leadenhall Street, which appeared in Lord Anson's Garland around 1757.

Then there's another story, in which Nancy's boyfriend is sent off to sea by her disapproving father, and (usually) murdered en route by a hired assassin.  His ghost reveals the truth to her, and she dies as well.  See:

Nancy of Yarmouth  (Jemmy and Nancy; The Barbadoes Lady) [Laws M38]  -The entry at the  Traditional Ballad Index.

Jimmy and Nancy  DT version from Nova Scotia.

Jamie & Nancy's garland: or the Yarmouth tragedy  Printed between 1821 and 1827 by T. Bloomer of Birmingham.  (Broadside at the Bodleian).

There is also what seems to be an intermediate story, in which Nancy laments for her lover at sea, but he just gets drowned by accident and we don't get a ghost.

At the Bodleian:

Nancy's complaint for her sweetheart Jemmy  Printed between 1790 and 1840 by J. Jennings of London.
Nancy's lament for her sailor lad  Printed by R. Evans of Chester.

There's even one with a happy ending:

The Jolly Young Sailor  -Version in the DT.

There's more, of course, but that should be enough to be going on with.  Is any of this anything to do with what you were looking for?

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Feb 01 - 07:34 PM

Nope, none of the ones there that I could actually read....

Basically it is a love song about Nancy who loves William, and he is a sailor. The lines I quoted are correct, and the tune is quite wistful and almost a lament. I think it may be local to Dorset, it's certainly the only place I've found it.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Feb 01 - 08:24 PM

Well, we've done what we could with the information we had.  The fact that almost everybody in these kind of songs is called William and Nancy (with the occasional Jimmy and Polly) doesn't exactly simplify things: it's a bit like looking for the right John Smith in the phone book.  Do you remember any more of the words?

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Stewie
Date: 25 Feb 01 - 10:36 PM

In his 'Foggy Dew' compilation Frank Purslow gives an alternative text for 'Pretty Nancy'. He said it's a typical example of alternative texts by some Dorset and Hampshire singers. It begins:

Pretty Nancy of (London) she dwells in our street
She was courted by William who belongs to the fleet
When the trumpet it sounded, to the wars he must go
Which filled her poor bosom with sorrow and woe

Is this closer to what you are after?

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Feb 01 - 11:39 PM

Gordon Bennett, the only Purslow book I haven't managed to get hold of.  Wouldn't you know it, moan grumble...

Good work, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 Feb 01 - 02:42 PM

YES!!! that sounds a great deal more like it!!! I was thinking maybe I remembered it wrong and it was William who belonged to the Queen.... but yes, do you have the rest of it please?? At least it fits the tune in my head.... unlike any of the others.

Thank you.

LTS

Subject: Lyr Add: PRETTY NANCY ^^
From: Stewie
Date: 26 Feb 01 - 06:22 PM

PRETTY NANCY (Alternative text)

Pretty Nancy of (London) she dwells in our street
She was courted by William who belongs to the fleet
When the trumpet it sounded, to the wars he must go
Which filled her poor bosom with sorrow and woe

'Oh, Nancy, dear Nancy', these words he did say
'Our ship she lies anchored and I must away'
As he kissed her red, rosy cheeks tears from his eyes did fall
When he bid his dear Nancy adieu and farewell

'Oh, William, dear William, this will break my heart
Since you and I, love, for ever must part
You are a-going to those wars, love, where loud cannons roar
Where I never, no never, shall see you any more'

Oh, the stormy winds blow, boys, they make my pillow shake
It makes my room windows for to shiver and quake
God knows where my love lies so far from the shore
I'll pray for his welfare, what can I do more?

When the sailors are sailing they drink a health to their wives
For they all love their sweethearts as they love their own lives
Here's a full punch going round, my boys, here's a full glass in hand
Here's a health to loving Nancy that I leave on dry land

Source: Frank Purslow (ed) 'The Foggy Dew' EFDS Publications Ltd, London, 1974, p 72.
^^

Subject: Lyr Add: NANCY FROM YARMOUTH^^
From: wes.w
Date: 27 Feb 01 - 07:39 AM

Liz,

Ageing brain. Knew it rang a bell, I sang it only last year! It may not be the same as yours, but its West Country local and alternative to Stewie's one.

From Susan Williams, Haselbury Plucknett, Somerset, via Cecil Sharp

1. Pretty Nancy of London who lives in High Street,
Was courted by Jimmy on board of the Fleet
While the wind from the East Lane began for to blow
My heart hath been blessed by some sorrow and woe

2. O Nancy, my charmer, my joy and delight
Will you take this kind letter which I have now to write
Tis just to inform you what we undergo
All on the salt seas where the stormy winds blow

3. Twas early one morning before it was dark
Our honorable captain he showed us his mark
He showed us to something to view in the sky
He told us of a terrible storm that was nigh

4. Came rolling like thunder which tossed us about
Whilst many a bold seaman both valiant and stout
Stood shaking and trembling between hopes and fears
One moment in the low lies, the next in the air

5. A ship in distress is a terrible sight
Like an army of soldiers just going to fight
But a soldier can run to the beat of a drum
But the sailor must submit to a watery grave

^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Feb 01 - 05:23 PM

Ooooh, now that is different, Wes.w.... nice too. The one I learned was probably an updated version of the Purslow song. Thanks guys, the tune is now squirrelling like no body's business and won't go away until I expurge the wretched thing by singing it all the way through!

Thanks everyone!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Feb 01 - 12:48 AM

Do we already have the tune for these two versions somewhere in the Digital Tradition, or is some kind soul going to e-mail it to me?
Thanks.
-Joe Offer (click to e-mail)-

Subject: Tune Add: PRETTY NANCY OF LONDON
From: wes.w
Date: 01 Mar 01 - 09:50 AM

So I did...
This is almost Young Tradition '..Of Yarmouth' tune, but not quite:

T:PRETTY NANCY OF LONDON
L:1/8
M:3/4
K:D
A2 A2 |A3 G E2|C2 D2 EF|G3 E C2|D4 D2|\
EFG2A2| =c2 A2 A2|G2 F2 G2|A4 DE|\
F2 G2 A2| =c2 A2 A2|G2 F2 G2|A4 A2|\
A3 F D2| C2 D2 EF| G2 ED C2 |D2 ||

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Mar 01 - 09:59 AM

There's a midi with the DT file, which is Peter Bellamy's text; there's something rather odd about the midi, though; it doesn't sound at all right to me.  Perhaps it came from the Myers book, and is either a different version or the tune was transcribed wrongly in the first place?

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 Mar 01 - 05:41 PM

Thank you for reminding me it was Bellamy, now I can find the original source I got it from.... I dunno, brain like a seive.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Pumphouse Pete
Date: 12 Apr 10 - 03:20 PM

Hi Everyone,
I've been lookining for the lyrics to "Pretty Nancy" as well, but the version I've been trying to find is by John Tams (worship & praise!!) off of his "The Reckoning" CD.
Lots of similarities and differences to the versions already quoted.
Starts off as "Pretty Nancy of London,from that fair England's street,She was courted by William ............" and the tune is the Yarmouth one.
Haven't been able to find it on the omniscient internet, so I'll just have (labouriously) transcribe it from the CD and I'll probably invoke the Folk Process and include some of the verses from here.
Good to have all the background & different versions.
As & when I get it done, I'll post it.
Cheers for now

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 07:11 AM

Coming to this thread fifteen years on, it does of course occur that maybe Liz the Squeak has taken up some other avenue instead, and possibly got so fed up waiting for a definitive answer that she gave up entirely. I hope not.

John Faulkner (Critics Group, Combine, Reel Union, etc)., used to sing 'Nancy of London' back in the 60s and 70s. Might still sing it, even though he decamped to Galway many decades ago.

...the fair inland stream... made a lot more sense than the 'street', too. What's an inland street?

Anyway, try this link for a fairly comprehensive essay on this and other versions:

https://mainlynorfolk.info/peter.bellamy/songs/prettynancyofyarmouth.html

Can't find any recordings of the song, which is a shame, as Faulkner made it into a classic (rather than just a sort of singalong folk song).

Still, maybe after All These Years someone will shed more light on it!

Cheers.

A.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Nancy from Yarmouth
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 08:08 AM

Have a recollection of Bonny Sartin and the Yetties singing it as Nancy Of Weymouth.

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