Lyr/Chords Req: The Ow'dHam Recruit

Subject: The Ow'dham Recruit
From: GUEST,Phil
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 03:56 PM

Need the tune to this broadside

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Ow'dHam Recruit
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 04:56 PM

If you mean the early 19th century broadside song usually called "John O'Grinfilt's Ramble" or similar, I have a tune for it which Mike Harding gave in his Folk Songs of Lancashire (1980) which I can send you if you'd like.  I don't know where he got it from, mind.  There are some copies of this song, and others about the eponymous hero, at  The Bodleian Library Broadside Collection, for example:

Jone o'Greenfield's ramble/ Jone's Ramble from Grenfelt to Owdham.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Ow'dHam Recruit
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 04:59 PM

Whoops; the link to the Bodleian search page should be:  The Bodleian Library Broadside Collection

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN O'GRINFILT'S RAMBLE (Joseph Lees)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Nov 00 - 11:07 PM

Even if this isn't the song Phil was looking for, I think it's worth posting:


JOHN O'GRINFILT'S RAMBLE

Said John to his wife one hot summers's day,
"Aw'm resolved that in Grinfilt no longer Aw'll stay,
But Aw'll goo to Owdham as fast as Aw con,
So fare thee well Grinfilt an' fare thee well Nan,
For a sodger Aw'll be, brave Owdham Aw'll see
An' Aw'll goo an 'ave a battle wi't' French."

"Dear John" cried our Nan and hoo bitterly cried,
"Wilt tha be one of t'Foot or dost mean for to ride?"
"Ee lass, I'll ride either ass or a mule,
Ere I'll cower in Grinfilt as black as the Dule,
For both clemmin' and starvin' wi' nerry a farthin'
It 'ud welly drive any mon mad."

"Ay Jone sin we cum i' Grinfilt for to dwell,
We've had mony a bare meal Aw con very well tell."
"Bare meal, egod aye! That Aw very well know,
There's been three days this week as we've 'ad nowt at all,
An' Aw'm very near sided, afore Aw'll abide it,
Aw'll goo 'ave a battle wi' t' French!"

Then dahn t' broo Aw come for we livent at top,
Aw swore Aw'd goo to Owdham afore Aw should stop,
Egod how they stared when Aw cum dahn through Mumps,
Mi owd hat in mi hond an' me clogs full o' stumps,
But Aw very soon towd 'em Aw were gooin' to Owdham
An' Aw'd 'ave a battle wi' t' French.

Well they took me to t' place where they measure their height,
An' they retched me and stretched me until Aw were right,
An' they retched me and stretched me an' Aw never flinched,
Says t' sergeant "Owd lad, thart meh man to an inch".
So Aw thowt this'll do awst 'ave guineas enoo,
Egod! Owdham, brave Owdham for me!

So fare thee well Grinfilt, a sodger Aw'm made,
Aw've git some new shoon and a fancy cockade,
Aw'st feet for owd Englond as 'ard as Aw con,
Either French, Dutch or Spanitch, to me it's all one,
An' Aw'll mek 'em to stare, like a new startled hare,
An' Aw'll tell 'em from Owdham Aw've come.


Originally, Jone [o'Grinfilt's]'s Ramble; written by Joseph Lees of Glodwick, near Oldham in Lancashire, c.1803-5.  John of Greenfield and his wife Marget (or Margit) feature in a number of broadside songs of the time, dealing with contemporary issues: several of these may be seen at the Bodleian Library (link above).  The best-known song belonging to this family, written some years later by an unknown maker (and set to pretty much the same tune), is the Four-Loom Weaver.  There is a version of this latter on the DT, and, I think, some discussion in the Forum: no clickable links just now, as none of the search facilities seem to be working.  A midi of the melody given for this song goes to Alan for the Mudcat Midi pages.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Ow'dHam Recruit
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 10:57 PM

G'day,
Thanks to Malcolm the tune for "The Ow'dham Recruit" can be found here at the Mudcat MIDI site.

Cheers,
Alan