From VERNACULAR SONG FROM A NORTH YORKSHIRE HILL FARM: CULTURE, CONTEXTS AND COMPARISONS
Submitted to the University of Newcastle for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2005
DAVID HILLERY International Centre for Music Studies

"The ritual of the hirings went on in many areas until the First World War and lingered on in some areas including the Lake District and Ireland until the Second. The arrangement was a very speculative and hazardous enterprise for both parties. Jack Beeforth encapsulated the problem of the need for mutual trust in the transaction thus:

"A lad goes to t'hirings and meets a farmer who says, 'Ista for hiring?' 'Aye', says t'lad. 'What can you deea?' says t'farmer. 'Oh, ommost onnything on a farm', says t'lad. 'Well thoo looks a likely lad', says t'farmer. 'Wheer were you last?"Wi' him over theer', says t'lad. 'Can you get yourself a character?' says t'farmer 'and then I'll hire you'. So the lad goes over to t'feller he were wi', and asks him for a character. 'Nay, lad, you deeant want to go wi' him. He'll hunger yer and work yer and you'll have a right bad time'. So the lad goes back to t'farmer. 'Well, have you got a character?' says he. 'Why', says t'lad, 'I haven't got one for me, but he's just given me a right one for thee'."

I've taken this extract and put it into verse;

A mean farmer goes to the Martinmas Fair
To see the farm workers who all gathered there.
Lad, ista for hiring? Hasta got a strong arm?
I can deea ommost onnything, says t’lad, On a farm.

Well thoo looks a good lad. Wheer were you last year?
I worked wi’ t’feller standing just over theer.
Now if he will put in a good word for thee,
Then I’ll hire thee this year and tha’ll come back with me.

The lad goes over to him to ask for a good word.
But his old master says, Nay, lad, haven’t yer heard?
Yer deean’t want to go wi’ him to make yer new home.
He’ll hunger yer and work yer reet down to the bone.

So the lad he goes back to t’farmer again.
Did he put in a good word? t'farmer says then.
Why, says t’lad, I haven’t got one for me,
But he’s told me to never go working for thee.