In Horkstow Grange there lives an old miser, You all do know him as I've heard tell, It was him and his man that was called John Bowlin', They fell out one market day.
Pity them what see him suffer, Pity poor old Steeleye Span, John Bowlin's deeds they will be remembered, Bowlin's deeds at Horkstow Grange.
Horkstow is one of the low villages in the Ancholme Valley, situated at the foothills of the Lincolnshire Wolds.
From Percy Grainger's notes: Mr. George Gouldthorpe, the singer of Harkstow [sic.] Grange (born at Barrow-on-the-Humber, North Lincolnshire, and aged 66 when he first sang to me, in 1905) was a very different personality. In spite of his poverty and his feebleness in old age it seemed to be his instinct to shower benefits around him. Once, at Brigg, when I had been noting down tunes until late in the evening, I asked Mr. Gouldthorpe to come back early the next morning. At about 4:30 I looked out of the window and saw him playing with a colt, on the lawn. He must have taken a train from Goxhill or Barrow, at about 4.0 a.m. I apologised , saying 'I didn't mean that early, Mr. Gouldthorpe.' Smiling his sweet kingly smile he answered: `Yuh said: Coome eearly. So I coom'd.'