Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)

Subject: A glimpse into the past
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 07:48 AM

The following is an extract from SKETCHES OF LANCASHIRE LIFE by Edwin Waugh, published in 1855.

In the chapter entitled HIGHWAYS AND BYEWAYS, FROM ROCHDALE TO THE TOP OF BLACKSTONE EDGE he writes:

Twenty years since there was no church in Smallbridge, no police to keep its rude people in orderly trim, no very effective school of any sort. The working weavers and colliers had the place almost to themselves in those days. They worked hard, and ate and drank as plentifully as their earnings would afford, especially on holidays, or "red-letter days;" and, at by-times they clustered together in their cottages, but oftener at the road side, or in some favourite alehouse, and solaced their fatigue with such scraps of news and politics as reached them; or by pithy, idiomatic bursts of country humour and old songs. Sometimes these were choice snatches of the ballads of Britain, really beautiful, "Minstrel memories of times gone by;" such as, unfortunately, we seldom hear now, and still seldomer hear sung with the feeling and natural taste which the country lasses of Lancashire put into them while chanting at their work. Some of Burns's songs, and many songs commemorating the wars of England, were great favourites with them. Passing by a country alehouse, one would often hear a rude ditty like the following, sounding loud and clear from the inside:—

"You generals all, and champions bold,
    Who take delight i'th field ;
Who knock down palaces and castle walls,
    And never like to yield;
I am an Englishman by birth,
    And Marlbro' is my name,
In Devonshire I first drew breath;
    That place of noble fame."

Or this finishing couplet of another old ballad:—

"To hear the drums and the trumpets sound,
    In the wars of High Garmanie!"

I well remember that the following were among their favourites:— "Oh, Nanny, wilt thou gang wi' me?" "Jockey to the Fair," "Old Towler," "The Banks of the Dee," "Black Eyed Susan," "Highland Mary," "The Dawning of the Day," "The Garden Gate," and "The Woodpecker." There are, also, a few rough, humorous songs in the Lancashire dialect, which are very common among them. The best of these are the rudely-characteristic ballads called "Jone o' Greenfelt," and "The Songs of the Wilsons".

Subject: RE: A glimpse into the past
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 09:13 AM

PS anyone know anything about "The Woodpecker"? All the songs of that name I've found are too recent.

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 10:27 AM

Thanks for posting that. Interesting and fun to read!

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 10:44 AM

PS anyone know the words (or any set of words) to "Jockey to the Fair"? I've checked the database under "J", "F" and "W" (for "With J to the F", since this dance-tune is sometimes given under this title).

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:00 AM

Words to Jockey to the Fair.

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:16 AM

Artist : Fairport Convention
Title : Lord Marlborough
Album : Angel Delight

You generals all and champions bold that
takes delight in fields
That knocks down churches and castle walls
but now to death must yield
We must go and face our daring foes
and with a sword and shield
I often fought with my merry men
but now to death must yield

I am an Englishman by birth,
Lord Marlborough is my name
And I was brought up in London town,
a place of noted fame
I was beside by all my men,
kings and princes likewise
And then all the towns we took
to all the world's surprise
King Charles the Second I did serve
to face our foes in France.

And at the battle of Rammalies we boldly did advance
The sun was down, the earth did quake,
so loudly did he cry
"Fight on, my boys, for old England's sake, we'll conquer or we'll die"
But now we gain for victory and bravely kept the field
We took great numbers of prisoners
and forced them all to yield
That very day my horse got shot,
'twas by a musket ball
And as I mounted up again,
my aide-de-camp did fall

Now I on a bed of sickness lie,
I am resigned to die
You generals all and champions bold
stand true as well as I
"Stand true my lads and fight with courage bold"
I led my men through smoke and fire and always they were bold.

Charlotte (when I was on horseback)

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:34 PM

Artist: Nic Jones
Title: THE DUKE OF MALBOROUGH
Album: Ballads and Songs

You generals all and champions bold who take delight in the field,
Who knock down palaces and castle walls and fight until they yield -
Oh I must go and face the foe without my sword and shield,
I always fought with my merry men, but now to death I must yield.


I am an Englishman by birth, and Malborough is my name
In Devonshire I drew my breath, that place of noted fame.
I was beloved by all my men, by Kings and Princes likewise,
Though many towns I often took, I did the world surprise.


Well good Queen Anne sent us abroad, to Flanders we did go,
And we left the Banks of Newfoundland, for to face the daring foe,
We climbed those lofty hills so high, where guns stones broke, likewise,
And all those famous towns we took and we won great victory.


King Charles the second I did serve, to face the foes in France,
And at the battle of Ramilles, we boldly did advance,
The sun was down and the moon did shine - so loudly did I cry:
"Fight on, me lads, for Fair England! We'll conquer or we'll die!"


Now we have gained the victory and bravely held the field,
We took a number of prisoners and forced them to yield,
That very day my horse got shot, all by a musket ball,
And 'ere I mounted up again, my second man did fall


Now on a bed of sickness prone, I am resigned to die,
You generals all and champions bold, stand true as well as I,
Unto your colours stand you true and fight with courage bold
I've led my men through fire and smoke but n'er was bribed by gold.


You generals all and champions bold who take delight in the field,
Who knock down palaces and castle walls and fight until they yield -
Oh I must go and face the foe without my sword and shield,
I always fought with my merry men, but now to death I must yield.

Subject: RE: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:47 PM

I assume this must be The Woodpecker mentioned above.

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 01:31 PM

Sminky, thanks for the last two verses, I was having a hard time remembering them

Charlotte (if you know all the words, you don't know enough songs)

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: folk1e
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 06:36 PM

"The best of these are the rudely-characteristic ballads called "Jone o' Greenfelt," and "The Songs of the Wilsons".".......
.....Piggin 'ell! I know they are getting a bit grey but I didn't think the Wilsons were that old!

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 09:46 PM

The text of 'Lord Marlborough' as arranged and recorded by Fairport Convention is in the DT at  Lord Marlborough. It's an (avowedly) inaccurate and incomplete transcription, made by ear from the record, and as such should never have been included; but there it is. For a broadside transcription, with useful background information, see thread  Lyric Correct? Lord Marlborough. Charlotte's stab at it also contains a number of mishearings, though fewer than the DT file.

As usual, Fairport didn't bother to say where they got the version they arranged; but Nic Jones conscientiously noted that he got his from Cecil Sharp's English Folk Songs [London: Novello, II, 71-74]. The tune came from John Culley, Farrington Gurney, Somerset, 22 August 1906; the text appears to be a modified collation put together by Sharp (Mr Culley remembered only one verse) from various sources. Fairport's tune is effectively identical. They almost certainly got it from Sharp's book, though perhaps at a few removes as their lyric is a bit confused in places.

Beside the book mentioned by 'Sminky' (one I haven't seen; thanks for that) there are plenty of others that give us an idea of what songs were current at particular times. To name a very few only, there's Thomas Hughes, The Scouring of the White Horse (1859); many of Hardy's novels; and autobiographical works such as Henry Burstow's Reminiscences of Horsham (1911), Lark Rise (Flora Thompson, 1939), I Walked by Night (Frederick Rolfe, 1935), Brother to the Ox (Fred Kitchen, 1940) and so on.

'Songs of the Wilsons' probably refers to the output of Michael Wilson and Alexander Wilson of Manchester. A collection entitled The Songs of the Wilsons [i.e. of M. T. and A. Wilson]: with a Memoir of the family and several additional songs never before published, edited by John Harland, was published in the 1860s.

Subject: RE: Folklore: A glimpse into the past (UK 1855)
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 07:51 AM

The Wilsons (father and various sons) were poets, artists and singers and musicians. Alexander penned verses in the John O'Greenfield 'style' several of which appeared on broadsides of the day, eg "Jonny Green's wedding, and description of Manchester College", "Johnny Green's description of Tinker's Gardens" and "Jone's ramble fro' Owdam to Karsy-Moor Races".

Some of Edwin Waugh's verses also made it onto ballad sheets (in breach of copyright), "Come 'Whoam' to thi' childer an' me" was probably the most popular.

There is a superb website about these and other minor poets of the Victorian age. It also contains the full text of several of Waugh's books, including Sketches of Lancashire Life.