Lyr Add: Cottage for Sale

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for Sale
From: GUEST, Paul Slade
Date: 30 Nov 18 - 08:54 AM

I think the John Morgan who printed this sheet must be the ballad writer of that name profiled in Charles Hindley's History of the Catnach Press (1886). Here's an extract with Hindley describing his attempt to interview Morgan for the book:

“We talked and took notes. Mr Morgan talked and took gin. Mr Morgan got warm - warmer and warmer - and very entertaining. His conversational powers increased wonderfully. He became very witty and laughed. He joked and made merry at some old reminiscences in connection with old Jemmy Catnach, and admitted that, after all, old Jemmy wasn't a particularly bad sort. That is, when you knew him and could handle him properly. Then old Jemmy was as right as my leg! Still we continued to talk and take notes. Still Mr Morgan talked and took gin. [...] At length, it became very manifest that we should not be able to get any more information out of Mr John Morgan on that day.”

Morgan was one of the 19th century ballad trade's best-known, most talented and most prolific writers. My guess is that he later branched out into printing as well to avoid splitting the proceeds of his work with an outside printer like Catnach.

I've written a little more about both men in my British Broadsides article here. Scroll down to the appendices and you'll find some details of another delightful suggestive ballad sheet called The Beautiful Muff.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE COTTAGE (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 10:56 PM

Here's the complete text from the broadside mentioned above. I have modernized the spelling and punctuation a bit.

THE COTTAGE

1. Come all you rakish bachelors and listen to my tale.
I've a cottage neat and snug I'm putting up for sale.
It's in a pleasant valley with a rising hill above,
And a crystal stream of water is running through a grove.

CHORUS: Then occupy my cottage. It is in good repair.
It has a pleasant entrance and will suit you to a hair.

2. The first a rich old alderman my cottage did engage.
He thought himself so stiff and strong though eighty years of age.
He fumbled long till he was tired. Says he, "My dear, I'm sure
I'm doubled up and cannot stand, and can't find out the door."

3. The next a bold young sailor, with gold his lockers stored,
And soon within my cottage the jolly jack tar was moored.
He roamed the cottage up and down and turned the things about
Until he got quite giddy, and then he tumbled out.

4. The next a fat old Quaker with his "thee" and "thou."
He says, "To take your cottage the spirit moves me now."
He could not get in at all, for such a paunch had he,
And from out his breeches pocket he could not pull the key.

5. The next a brave young soldier my cottage did desire,
And he demanded entrance, or else he said he'd fire.
He marched in like a hero. The door was opened wide.
His pouch and ammunition and balls he left outside.

6. The next there came a tailor, and offered me his goose
To let him take possession of my pleasant little house.
With such haste he entered in, so great was his desire,
He broke his yard, and singed his cloth, and set his goose on fire.

7. The last he was a cobbler, with lapstone in his hand.
To take my little cottage of me he did demand.
He was such a noisy customer in hammering of his leather,
That him, pegging awl, and lapstone, I tumbled out together.

8. So all young men and bachelors, come hasten, be in time!
Come and view my cottage. You'll find it snug and prime.
The roof is well thatched over, the entrance neat and plain,
And all whoever entered there have wished to go again.

J. Morgan, Printer, 46, Brick Lane, Spitalfields.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: GUEST,jack Warshaw
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 11:24 AM

Some friends and I learned "Tenement to Let" in 1960 from Ed McCurdy. I worked briefly with him in New York in 1963. He was a great character, scholar and teacher who occasionally wrote songs, the most famous of which is "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 03:56 PM

It's an amazing world, Masato!

LD

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 12:24 PM

"Tenement to Let!" is also in S.A. Bradley, Sixty Ribald Songs from Pills to Purge Melancholy (Andre Deutsch, 1968, pp. 128-129), with guitar accompaniment.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 10:39 AM

Good man!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 04:52 AM

I'll take Malclom's comment as a hint. Here's the tune.
Mick

X: 1
T:Cottage for Sale
M:2/2
L:1/8
K:D
A|dd cd|BA FA|BG EC|D3
A|AE EF| GF GA| dd cB| A3
A|AE EF| GF GA|dd ec|d3
d/d/|fd cd|BA FA| BG EC| D3||
A|AE EF|GF GA| dd ec|d3
d|fd cd| BA FA| BG EC|D3 |]

Subject: Lyr Add: A TENEMENT TO LET (from D'Urfey)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 01:24 PM

Goodness! I didn't expect to find a relation to the venerable "A Tenement to Let." Thanks so much. Here's what I was able to track down some years ago (BAWDY ALERT):

A TENEMENT TO LET

(Words by Thomas D'Urfey, Circa 1720 As sung by Ed McCurdy on When Dalliance was in Flower In Wit & Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy, Volume VI, pp. 355-356.)

I Have a Tenement to Let,
I hope will please you all,
And if you'd know the Name of it,
'Tis called Cunny Hall.

It's seated in a Pleasant Vale,
Beneath a rising Hill;
This Tenement is to be Let,
To whosoe'er I will.

For Years, for Months, for Weeks or Days,
I'll let this famous Bow'r;
Nay rather than a Tennant want,
I'd let it for an Hour.

There's round about a pleasant Grove,
To shade it from the Sun;
And underneath is Well water
That pleasantly does run.

Where if you're hot you may be cool'd,
If cold you may find heat;
It is a well contrived Spring,
Not little nor too great.

The place is very Dark by Night,
And so it is by Day;
But when you once are enter'd in,
You cannot lose your way.

And when you're in, go boldly on,
As far as e'er you can;
And if you reach to the House top,
You'll be where ne'er was Man.

Landlady's Daughter, not to be confused with Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: JudeL
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 11:57 AM

I bow to superior knowledge and apologise for the errors. However, since I wrote it from memory and I learnt it some 20 years ago, please mark it up to faulty memory and the good old folk process,(it tends to change slightly each time I sing it, especially after a few jars). BTW thanks for the 2 extra verses. I'm no good at the dots and haven't yet mastered paltalk or I'd offer to sing you the melody, but I plan on going to Miskin's Winter Warmer & can sing it there if that's any help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 10:53 AM

Beat me to it, Mick!  The broadside set at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads  is:

The cottage  Printed by J. Morgan, 46, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, London (no date).  The additional verses are:

The next there came a tailor, and offered me his goose,
To let him take possession of my pleasant little house
With such haste he entered in so great was his desire,
He broke his yard, and singed his cloth, and set his goose on fire.

The last he was a cobler, with lapstone in his hand,
To take my little cottage, of me he did demand
He was such a noisy customer in hammering of his leather,
That him, peging awl, and lapstone, I tumbled out together.

Spellings as given.  Can anyone give us the tune?  I don't have the Richards/Stubbs book.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cottage for sale
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 10:34 AM

This seems to be the same version given in Richards & Stubbs "The English Folksinger", with the 3rd line of v2 changed from ...said "My dear I'm sure" (a slighly better rhyme I think).

Notes there say sung by Henry King of Lyndhurst, Hants; collected by J.G.Guyer 1906; in G.B.Gardiner ms.

There's a Firth broadside (Firth b.34(71)) in the Bodleian (under the title The Cottage) which is virtually identical but has 2 extra verses (tailor and cobbler).

Mick

Subject: Lyr Add: COTTAGE FOR SALE
From: JudeL
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 08:51 AM

I was reading the double-entendre thread and thought of one of the songs I sing. I looked for it in the DT intending to refer to it rather than type it out .. but I couldn't find it. So here's the lyrics

COTTAGE FOR SALE

Come all you rakish gentlemen come listen to my tale
I have a cottage neat and snug I'm putting up for sale
It's in a pleasant valley with a rising hill above
And a crystal stream of water is a running through a grove

Chorus: Come occupy my cottage for it is in good repair
it has a pleasant entrance and will suit you to a hair

The first was a rich old alderman that cottage did engage
He thought himself so stiff and strong though 80 years of age
He fumbled long till he was tired and said "Alas my dear"
"I'm doubled up and cannot stand, nor yet can find the door"

Chorus

The next was a fat old Quaker man with all his "thees" and "thous"
"And for to take this cottage oh the spirit moves me now"
But he could not get in at all for such a paunch had he
And from his breeches pocket he could not pull the key

Chorus

Next came a handsome sailor bold with golden locks in store
And soon within my cottage that jolly jack tar was moored
He roamed the cottage up and down and turned things all about
Until he got quite giddy and then he tumbled out

Chorus

And then came a brave young soldier that cottage did desire
And he demanded entrance or else he said he'd fire
He marched in like a hero bold, the door was opened wide
His pouch and ammunition and his balls he left outside

Chorus

So all young men and bachelors come hasten be in time
Come and view my cottage for you'll find it snug and prime
The roof is well thatched over, though the entrance neat and plain
All whoever's entered there has wished to go again

Chorus