I have managed to obtain the lyrics (Thanks to Mr Peter Hawkins), should anybody require them:WILL AND HENRY SMALLTHWAITE
(Geoff Higginbottom)
In the vale of Kirkby Lonsdale in the north of England
Lived the brothers Smallthwaite, farmers of the land.
By day they herded cattle and grew their corn and tatties.
By night their moves were guided by the devil's hand.CHORUS
For clipping and for coining and for robbing o' the gentry,
The Smallthwaite brothers they must hang high on the gallows tree.Now Will and Henry Smallthwaite, by night they robbed the gentry,
Shared out all their spoils with the poor folks of the land.
The sheriff of the county, he swore that he would catch them,
So he organised a posse to track the brothers down.
CHORUS
Now the sheriff's men lay waiting outside the local manor,
And the sheriff caught them robbing there and sent them off for trial.
On a charge of stealing riches from all the local gentry,
He locked them up and sent them to the courtroom in Carlisle.
CHORUS
Now the jury at the trial they were all friends of the Smallthwaites.
To find them both not guilty did suit them very well.
So Henry and young Will, they walked their way to freedom
To carry on their robbing in the valley of Lonsdale.
CHORUS
But greed became their downfall, clipping silver from the coinage,
An act of treason punished by a rope hung from a tree.
The sheriff caught them coining. The assize at Preston tried them,
With no friends in the jury box to help to set them free.
CHORUS
Now the verdict it was guilty and the judge put on his black cap,
And then he gave his sentence for all the court to hear.
To die by hangman's rope was the fate of Will and Henry,
So the gentry for their riches, they need no longer fear.
CHORUS (Twice)