Cob O'Coaling / Cob-a-Coaling for Bonfire Night

Subject: Cob O'Coaling
From: GUEST,Conrad Bladey "peasant"
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 03:00 PM

Lancashire

We come cob o'coaling for Bonfire time,
Your coal and your money we hope you'll enjoy,
Fol-di-day, fol-di-day, fol-di-diddle-i-do-day,
Down in yon cellar, there's an old um-ber-ella,
And in yonder corner ther's an old pepper pot (or box)
Pepper pot, pepper pot morning till neet, 
If you give us nowt, we'steal nowt,
But wish you good neet!-^^

(Oldham, Opie, The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, Oxford, Clarendon,1961.)

A chumping,wooding or cob coaling chant used when collecting burnables for the fire.
 

Subject: ADD: Cob Coaling Song (from the Watersons)
From: GUEST,conrad Bladey "peasant"
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 03:02 PM

Another Cob Coaling Song from the Watersons:

We come a cob a coalin', come a coalin', come a coalin'
We come a cob a coalin' on/(for) Bon Fire Night.

We come a cob-coalin' on/(for) Bon Fire Night
For coal and for money we hope you'll set right,

Fol the ray, fall the ray, fol the riddle-ee-I dum day.

Now the first house we come to is an old cobbler's shop,
with nought on his cornice but an old pepper pot,

Pepper pot, ball of wax morning to night,
If you give us nowt, we'll take nowt, farewell and good night.

Now me father is dead. He's dead and he's gone,
Attention to his grave.

Hello boys, hello boys, let the bells ring,
Fire boys, fire boys, fire  we sing.

The fifth of November we hope you'll remember
for gunpowder treason and plot,
I see no reason for Gunpowder treason to ever be forgot.

Oh we,
Come a cob a coalin', come a coalin', come a coalin',
We come a cob a coalin' on Bon Fire Night.

 Oldham Tinkers- add a verse:

We knock at your knocker, and ring at your bell,
To see what you'll give us for singing so well,

(Iona and Peter Opie, 1992: 120 identify this excerpt as a ditty used by
Christmas carolers!)^^

This verse follows the verse about the cobbler.

They also have a chant which they recite after they insert before the above
"knocker" excerpt:

Up a ladder, down a wall, a cob a call 'll save us all
If you haven't got a penny, a  'apenny will do,
If you haven't got a 'apenny, God bless you

Note from the Voices CD insert:

The English tradition abounds with rituals ranging through Mummers Plays, Well Dressing, Rush Cart Bearing, Ball Games and so on (it is worth seeking out a copy of The National Trust Guide to Traditional Customs of Britain by Brian Shuel, published by Webb & Bower). This song, from the Lancashire and Yorkshire border is associated with Bonfire Night. It is believed to have been part of a Mummers Play before transferring to the more recent calendar ritual. It was given to The Watersons in the 1960s by A. L. Lloyd. It was to have been included on their album on ritual songs, Frost And Fire, in the 1960s but space did not permit. (Topic Records has recently reissued Frost And Fire as TSCD 136). The Watersons in full flight is one of the most glorious sounds to be heard. They do not sing rigid harmony part, but often shift the harmonies around. The blend of voices is such that even when singing in unison there is an aural illusion of harmony.

This is the first time this line-up has recorded and The Watersons were Norma, Michael and Ann Waterson, Martin and Eliza Carthy and Jill Pidd. anyone know of any other song which uses the term cob coaling or cob o'coaling

CB

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cob O'Coaling
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 04:51 AM

I recognised some of my page here, unattributed.

Garry

Subject: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 04:59 AM

I learnt this via Waterson:Carthy on the "Voices: English traditional songs" tape; then, unable to find the tune in a library book or on the web, I mimicked my voice with my English flute - which you may hear here.

Cob-a-Coaling

We come a-cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling
We come a-cob-a-coaling for Bonfire Night

We come a-cob-coaling for Bonfire Night
For coal and for money, we hope you'll set right
Fal the ray, fal the ray
Fal the riddly aye dum day

Now the first house we come to is an old cobbler's shop
Wi' nowt in its cornice but an awd pepperbox
Pepperbox, ball of wax, morning to night
If you give us nowt, we'll tek nowt
Farewell and good night

Now me father is dead, he's dead and he's gone
Attention to his grave
Hello boys, hello boys, let the bells ring
Fire boys, fire boys, fire we sing!

The Fifth of November, we hope you'll remember
For gunpowder treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

We come a-cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling
We come a-cob-a-coaling for Bonfire Night
We come a-cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling, cob-a-coaling
We come a-cob-a-coaling for Bonfire Night

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: 8_Pints
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 12:26 PM

'Les from Chorlton' closed the proceedings at the Beech last night with this fine song: sung well and supported by the entire audience...

Bob

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 02:51 PM

This is Harry Boardman's version - might be wrong but I think he wrote the last verse.
Jim Carroll

COB-O'-COALIN'
From the singing of Lancashire singer Harry Boardman.
The song was used as an annual begging piece by Lancashire (Oldham?) children.

We'll come a cob-o'coalin', cob-o'-coalin', cob-o'coalin'
We've come a cob-o'-coalin' on bonfire night.

The first to come in is a collier you see,
With his pick and he shovel already dig,
He digs it and picks it and then it do fall,
And that is the way we do gather oor coal.

And the next to come in is a sailor you see,
With a bunch of blue ribbon tied under his knee,
He's travelled through England through France and through Spain,
And now he's returned to owd England again.

Last to come in is a miser youou see,
He's a hump on his back, and he's blind of one ee,
He's a weary owd feller and he wears a pigtail,
And all his delight is in drinking strong ale.

Now down in cellar there's an old umbrella,
There's nowt in the corner but an old pepper Pot.
Pepper pot, pepper pot, morning till night,
If you give us nowt, we'll take nowt, and bid you goodnight.

And it down in yon cellar there's plenty of bugs,
They've eaten my stockings and part of my clogs;
I get a sharp knife and we'll cut their yeds off,
And we'll have a good supper of bugs yeds and broth.

SPOKEN
Up a ladder and down a wall,
Tuppence or thruppence will please us all.

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: GUEST,dave smith
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 11:54 PM

It was definitely Oldham

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: LadyJean
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:27 AM

It sounds a lot like Beatrix Potter's description of the Lake Country Children going Pace Egging. You will find it in her collected writings.

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 07:34 PM

anyone have notation for this?
abc would do

Conrad

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: Bernard
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:47 AM

Harry's version is on 'Deep Lancashire' - both the original vinyl and the later CD compilation of the same name.

The Oldham Tinkers' version, similar in part to the one from the opening post, is included in the 'Cob Coaling Medley' on their 'Best o't'Bunch' album, originally on vinyl, but also on CD now. I got my vinyl copy from them, autographed, when first released!

Conrad - which version do you require?

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:55 AM

Wi' nowt in its cornice but an awd pepperbox
There's nowt in the corner but an old pepper Pot

Perhaps originally 'nowt on the cornice' ie mantelpiece.

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: GUEST,Matt
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 01:26 PM

well I didn't know the original lyrics but we used to sing



- We come a cob a coalin
for a bonfire night
we call at your number we hope
you enjoy..

Now down in you cellar
theres and old umbrella
and down in the cellar
theres and odd pepper pot

Pepper pot pepper pot
morning till night
if ya give us nowt we will take nowt
god Bless you good night -

Guy Guy Guy
poke him in the eye
tie him to a lamppost
never let him die

christmas is coming -
the goose is getting fat
please put a penny in the owd mans hat
if ya aint got a penny, an apenny will do
if you aint got an apenny
God bless you


There where more verses but that is all we used to sing and all i can remember - used to make us a small fortune

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: GUEST,Matt
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 02:34 PM

P/s Im from Oldham - circa 1978 - 1982 we used to fleece people :) our singing was always bad -

shame guy fawkes night has disappeared into Fireworks night....

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: Paul Reade
Date: 26 Mar 13 - 08:49 AM

I'm from Oldham too, and I remember as kids we used to sing Matt's version, with a couple of minor changes: "... your coal and your money we hope you enjoy ...", and we also sang "pepper box" rather than "pepper pot". I'm not sure what a "pepper box" is - anyone any ideas?

I remember discussing the different versions with Harry Boardman, who said his was the "Failsworth" version, and mine the "Oldham" one. There was always a bit of local rivalry between Failsworth and Oldham, even though they're only a couple of miles apart. When I first got married we lived in Failsworth and I remember being called a "yonner" in the local pub - because I came from "up yon"!

Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
From: Paul Reade
Date: 26 Mar 13 - 09:02 AM

I also agree with Matt that it's a shame Guy Fawkes night has more-or-less disappeared. I'm more concerned though that "Halloween" has taken over - a ghastly foreign festival that's simply another excuse to sell us some more expensive tat!