Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)

Subject: Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 26 - 11:14 PM

Transcribing from the album. I’m sure someone here has the liner notes but here’s my attempt from what I hear. I have a vague recollection of potentially having sung this in elementary song!

My lady hath a sable coach with horses two and four;
My lady hath a black blood-hound that runneth on before
My lady’s coach hath nodding blooms; the driver hath no head
My lady is an ashen white as one that is long dead

Now pray step in my lady says
Now pray step in and ride
I thank thee, I had rather walk
Than gather to thy side

CHORUS
The wheels go round without a sound
Of tramp or turn of wheels
As cloud at night in the pale moonlight
Along that carriage steals

Now pray step in, my lady saith
Now pray, come unto me
She takes the baby from the crib
And sets it on her knee

(Chorus)

Now pray step in, my lady saith
Now pray step in and ride
Then deadly pale in waving veil
She takes to her the bride(?)

(Chorus)

Now pray step in, my lady saith
There’s room in here for you
She waved her hand, the coach did stand
The squire within she drew

(Chorus)

I’d rather walk a hundred miles and walk by night and day
Than have that carriage halt for me and hear my lady say
Now pray step in, and make no din
I pray thee come inside
There’s room I vow by me for you
And all the world beside

(Chorus)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)
From: GUEST,M Siirdewaye
Date: 27 Sep 26 - 11:16 PM

Correction: second verse should say “saith” instead of “says”. (forgot to write my handle!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)
From: GUEST,M Siirdewaye
Date: 27 Sep 26 - 11:18 PM

Correction 2, should have said “elementary school”. That’s what I get for writing while tired!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)
From: Reinhard
Date: 28 Sep 26 - 01:06 AM

First verse: "nodding plumes"
Last verse: "and run by night and day"

Staverton Bridge's liner notes:

The ‘lady’ of the song is Lady Howard of Tavistock who died in 1671. She had an unfortunate life, beginning with a loutish father who committed suicide when she was 12, having four husbands (three of whom died) and many unscrupulous relations all eager to seize her property.

Before marrying her fourth husband, Sir Richard Grenville, she took the precaution of getting her property legally tied to herself so that not even he could touch it. From then on he insulted and beat her frequently. On her death-bed her first cousin, Sir William Courtenay, persuaded her to make her estates over to him by-passing her daughters by previous marriages.

Local tradition has unjustly changed her character to ‘wicked’. The tale goes that she murdered her first three husbands and hated her daughters. Within the framework of much older narratives, the legend of Lady Howard’s penance grew up.

On the chime of midnight her ghost rides in a coach made of bones, screaming skulls at each comer. The coach has a headless driver and is preceded by a one-eyed yeth hound. (Local variations abound, the most spooky being that she appears in the form of a woolsack full of eyes.)

The coach leaves Fitzford Gate, Tavistock and goes to Okehampton Castle mound where the hound plucks one blade of grass. The blade is taken back to Tavistock in the coach, and placed on the threshold of Fitzford Gate. This weird penance is to continue until every blade has been plucked from the mound, or until the crack of doom. Needless to say it is unlucky to encounter these proceedings.

Fragments of the song were collected by the Rev. Baring-Gould in the 1880s. The present version is a collation.

My Ladye's Coach, c. 1838-1840: Sabine Baring-Gould at the VWML
My Lady’s Coach at Mainly Norfolk

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Lady’s Coach (Staverton Bridge)
From: GUEST,M Siirdewaye
Date: 28 Sep 26 - 08:51 AM

Thank you, Reinhart, for the corrections and liner notes!