Lyr Req: William Stone (a poacher) (Graeme Miles)

Subject: Lyr Req: William Stone
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 04:54 PM

Steve Carter sang this song about a poacher and skinning a hare.

Anybody got this?

Me name is William Stone
I'm a poacher that's well known

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: William Stone (a poacher)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 05:19 PM

Ot may be "William Stone the Poacher".

https://folktrax-archive.org/menus/cassprogs/221miles1.htm

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Oooh! Could Graeme Miles be the songwriter? Song title shown is "William Stone, the Poacher."
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: William Stone (a poacher)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 23 Feb 21 - 09:33 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPS1_R77iRs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPS1_R77iRs

That it??

Subject: ADD: William Stone (a poacher)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Feb 21 - 11:21 PM

Here are the lyrics Steve Carter sent to me. Can anybody identify a songwriter?

WILLIAM STONE

CHORUS
Well my name is William Stone
I’m a poacher that’s well known
But for all the years of committing such a sin
No Gamekeeper’s ever run me in
I was always a little smarter than him
And they call me William Stone
When I was very very young

My father said “now son
This poaching lark is a very fine art
So tonight when its dark we’ll make a start
And we’ll   make a start
We’ll make a little trip to Winyard park
And I’ll show you how it's done”
CHORUS

My father taught me well
All that there was to tell
He told me how to set a snare
And he told me how to skin a hare
Of pheasants too there was a goodly share
And he told me where to sell
CHORUS

One night when all was still
We climbed up bottle hill
On hands and knees we crept and crawled
Down in the shadow of the *drystone wall         (*original may be “High Stone”)
We saw a few pheasants and we took ‘em all
And our nets with hares we filled
CHORUS

But I’m not so nifty now
The years have worn me down
But I passed it all on to Billy our lad
All that he knows he learned from his dad
And a finer teacher he could never have had
And they call me William Stone
CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: William Stone (a poacher) (Graeme Miles)
From: The Doctor
Date: 24 Feb 21 - 06:52 AM

This was written by Graeme Miles in 1963 and is printed in a book entitled 'Forgotten Songs Remembered', edited by Graeme with Sam Dodds and Ed Lawrence, and published by Folk Leads in 2007. Whether it's still available I don't know. The words as printed differ a little from the above as follows:

Chorus
Well me name is William Stone
I'm a poacher that's well known
In all the years of committing such a sin
No gamekeeper 'as ever pulled me in
I was always a little bit smarter than 'im
An' they call me William Stone

Now when I was very very young
Me father said, "Now son
This poachin' lark is a very fine art
So tonight when it's dark we'll make a start
An' we'll take a little trip to Wynyard Park
An' I'll show yer 'ow it's done."

An' me father taught me well
All that there was to tell
'E showed me 'ow to set a snare
'E showed me 'ow to skin a hare
An' o' pheasants too there was a goodly share
An' 'e showed me where to sell.

One night when all was still
We climbed up Bottle Hill
On 'ands and knees we crept an' crawled
Down in the shadow of the high stone wall
We saw a few pheasants an' we took 'em all
An' our sacks wi' hares we filled.

But I'm not so nifty now
The years 'ave slowed me down
But I've passed it all on to Billy our lad
All that 'e knows 'e learnt from 'is dad
An' a better teacher 'e never could 'ave 'ad
It were me that showed 'im how.