Lyr Req: King Edward IV and a Tanner of Tamworth

Subject: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From:
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 01:43 PM

I am looking for the words to this ballad - it is Child#273. Does anyone have a copy?

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 02:39 PM

Look here, The King and the Tinker in the DT. There is a Click to Play at the bottom of the page, does this help? I am sure there are many more versions.........you could also look at The Contemplator for possibly more versions.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 02:42 PM

Also, e mail sent

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From:
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 02:55 PM

Thanks for the ref to the King and the Tinker - unfortunately it's not the one I want - wrong King, and wrong profession. I have tried all the sources on the web I could find, and it doesn't seem as if King Edward IV and the Tanner of Tamworth has been posted.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:23 PM

Well, the one in the DT is labeled Child 273, I'll go look elsewhere.........back in a bit.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:34 PM

hmm. Lesley (the Contemplator) has it listed, but it is not a clickable link, so the lyrics are not there. I have a friend who owns the Child, I will call her and ask if it is in there, and get back to you, OK?

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 03:59 PM

See ZN1472 in the broadside ballad index on my website for a number of reprinted copies. It doesn't seem to be on the Bodley Ballads website.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 04:10 PM

Great news!! My friend who owns the book will lend it to me, also a book with a tune. Bad news: the 1st variant (preferred) has 46 verses, other variants have from 30-50 verses. Sounds like a LOT of typing to me.

What I think I will do, is e mail the requster for snail mail addy, and send her all of the relevant pages. Would anybody else like copies (free!) or does someone have a scanner so they could be scanned into a post and put here, and/or on Lesley's site? I will e mail Lesley and ask if it/they are wanted......OK?

Book will not arrive until tomorrow (Sunday) at the earliest, so don't look for anything much until Monday at least.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 04:13 PM

Child has one primary text (39 verses I thought, but I may have mis-counted) and, I think, three more versions in appendices.  There's also a text (45 verses) in A Bundle of Ballads, by Henry Morley (1891); I have Child A and the Morley set, which I should imagine also appears in Child -take your pick.  I believe there are two sets in Bronson, presumably with tunes.  The same basic story turns up with various different kings and professions.  There are two broadside copies at the  Bodleian Library Broadside Collection:

A pleasant new ballad of King Edward the fourth, and a tanner of Tamworth  Printed between 1663 and 1674 F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright of London.

A pleasant new ballad of King Edward the fourth: and a tanner of Tamworth as he rode a hunting with his nobles towards Drayton Bassett  Printed between 1658 and 1664 for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson of London.

These are large images.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From:
Date: 20 Jan 01 - 08:47 PM

Thanks very much, Malcolm. I was able to download both versions of King E and the Tanner. I have been looking for this ballad for over 2 years, so i am very grateful to you and everyone for the help. What a neat site.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 12:53 AM

Wow, did I ever goof up. Both copies on the Bodley Ballads website are noted in my broadside ballad index, but I didn't look at it carefully after searching in vain on the Bodley Ballads website for 'Tamworth'.

Subject: Lyr Add: KING EDWARD IV AND A TANNER OF TAMWORTH
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 02:20 AM

Thanks to MMario, I have the song texts of the Child Ballads, but not the notes. As was said above, there is one primary text with 39 verses, and three "appendix" texts. The one MMario gave me is the main text. -Joe Offer-

---

KING EDWARD IV AND A TANNER OF TAMWORTH Child 273A

In summer time, when leaves grew green, and birds were singing on every tree, King Edward would a hunting ride, some pastime for to see.

Our king he would a hunting ride, by eight a clock of the day, And well was he ware of a bold tanner, came riding on the way.

A good russet coat the tanner had on, fast buttoned under his chin, And under him a good cow-hide, and a mare of four shilling.

'Now stand you here, my good lords all, under this trusty tree, And I will wend to yonder fellow, to know from whence came he.

'God speed, God speed,' then said our king; 'Thou art welcome, good fellow,' quoth he; 'Which is the way to Drayton Basset I pray thee shew to me.'

'The ready way to Drayton Basset, from this place as thou dost stand, The next pair of gallows thou comst to thou must turn up on thy right hand.'

'That is not the way,' then said our king, 'The ready way I pray thee shew me;' 'Whether thou be thief or true man,' quoth the tanner, 'I'm weary of thy company.

'Away, with a vengeance,' qoth the tanner, 'I hold thee out of thy wit, For all this day have I ridden and gone, And I am fasting yet.'

'Go with me to Drayton Basset,' said our king, 'No daintyes we will lack; We'l have meat and drink of the best, And I will pay the shot.'

'Godamercy for nothing,' said the tanner, 'Thou shalt pay for no dinner of mine; I have more groats and nobles in my purse then thou hast pence in thine.'

'God save your goods,' then said the king, aend send them well to thee!' 'Be thou thief or true man,' quoth the tanner, 'I am weary of thy company.

'Away, with a vengeance,' quoth the tanner, 'of thee I stand in fear; The aparrell thou wearst on thy back May seem a good lord to wear.'

'I never stole them' said our king, 'I swear to thee by the rood;' 'Thou art some ruffian of the country, thou rid'st in the midst of thy good.'

'What news dost thou hear?' then said our king, 'I pray what news do you hear?' 'I hear no news,' answered the tanner, 'But that cow-hides be dear.'

'Cow-hides? cow-hides?' then said our king, 'I marvell what they be;' 'Why, art thou a fool?' quoth the tanner, 'look, I have one under me.'

'Yet one thing now I would thee pray, so that thou wouldst not be strange; If thy mare be better then my steed, I pray thee let us change.'

'But if you needs with me will change, As change full well may ye, By the faith of my body,' quoth the tanner, 'I look to have boot of thee.'

'What boot wilt thou ask?' then said our king, 'what boot dost thou ask on this ground?' 'No pence nor half-pence,' said the tanner, 'But a noble in gold so round.'

'Here's twenty good groats,' then said the king, 'So well paid see you be;' 'I love thee better then I did before, I thought thou hadst nere a peny.

'But if so be we needs must change, as change thou must abide, Though thou hast gotten Brock my mare, thou shalt not have my cow-hide.'

The tanner took the good cow-hide, that of the cow was hilt, And threw it upon the king's saddle, That was so fairly guilt.

'Now help me, help me,' quoth the tanner, 'Full quickly that I were gone, For when I come home to Gillian my wife she'l say I'm a gentleman.'

The king took the tanner by the leg, he girded a fart so round; 'You'r very homely,' said the king, 'were I aware, I'd laid you o th' ground.'

But when the tanner was in the king's saddle astone:d then he was; He knew not the stirrops that he did wear, whether they were gold or brass.

But when the steed saw the black cow-tale wag, for and the black cow-horn, The steed began to run away, as the divel the tanner had born.

Untill he came unto a nook, a little beside an ash; The steed gave the tanner such a fall his neck was almost brast.

'Take thy horse again, with a vengeance,' he said, 'with me he shall not abide;' 'It is no marvell,' said the king, and laught, 'He knew not your cow-hide.

'But if that we needs now must change, as change that well we mought, I'le swear to you plain, if you have your mare, I look to have some boot.'

'What boot will you ask?' quoth the tanner, 'What boot will you ask on this ground?' 'No pence nor half-pence,' said our king, 'But a noble in gold so round.'

'Here's twenty good groats,' said the tanner, aend twenty more I have of thine; I have ten groats more in my purse, we'l drink five of them at the wine.'

The king set a bugle-horne to his mouth, that blew both loud and shrill, And five hundred lords and knights came riding over a hill.

'Away, with a vengeance,' quoth the tanner, 'with thee I'le no longer abide; Thou art a strong thief, yonder be thy fellows, they will steal away my cow-hide.'

'No I protest,' then said our king, 'For so it may not be; They be the lords of Drayton Basset, come out of the North Country.'

But when they came before the king full low they fell on their knee; The tanner had rather then a thousand pound he had been out of his company.

'A coller! a coller!' then said the king, ae coller!' then did he cry; Then would he have given a thousand pound he had not been so nigh.

'A coller? a coller?' then quoth the tanner, 'it is a thing which will breed sorrow; For after a coller commeth a halter, and I shall be hanged tomorrow.'

'No, do not fear,' the king did say; 'For pastime thou hast shown me, No coller nor halter thou shalt have, but I will give thee a fee.

'For Plompton Park I will give thee, with tenements three beside, Which is worth three hundred pound a year, to maintain thy good cow-hide.'

'Godamercy, Godamercy,' quoth the tanner; 'For this good deed thou hast done, If ever thou comest to merry Tamworth thou shalt have clouting-leather for thy shone.'

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 02:22 AM

Joe, you deserve a Purple Heart for that one! I'll post an ABC for the tune tomorrow, OK?

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 03:35 AM

Tamworth is just down the road from where I live (near Lichfield) in Staffordshire. The direction to Drayton Basset is still the same too: turn right at the next gallows! When the thread name caught my eye I misread it as Edward VI, who founded a school in Lichfield (and 500 years later a leisure centre!). Maybe Staffordshire was just popular with royalty in those days.

Plompton Park is in Cumberland, though -- it's a long way for a Tamworth chap to go, especially when he's got his business at home. I don't know of another PP in the Midands. And I wonder why DB is called the North Country? I suppose if you spend all your time in London, it's hard to tell the difference. Ah -- maybe there's some confusion about the geography on the part of the writer, who's a southerner and doesn't know where everywhere is? Any suggestions?

Steve

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: GUEST,lanfranc at work
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 08:40 AM

Joe, You're a marvel and a glutton for punishment typing all that out.

It's a great story, and it seems that a lot of this research was started by blethbridge, who fired off a very effective scattergun request for assistance.

All you need is Mudcat!

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 25 Jan 01 - 06:16 PM

The division into 4 line stanzas is relatively modern. The ballad was entered in the Stationers' Register in 1586 (and still titled "A Pleasant new Ballad" a century and a half later). The oldest known copy is an unreprinted one of the 1650s in the BL 'Book of Fortune' collection. This I saw, but did not note the verse length (or even if it was divided into verses). That copy has no tune direction. Later copies cite "An excellent new tune", but, since it isn't known, it tells us nothing as far as what verse length should be. Note on the Bodley Ballads copies one is not divided into verses at all, and the other is a defective 8 lines per verse.

Subject: RE: King Edward IV & the Tanner of Tamworth
From: red max
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:54 AM

In J. Horsfall Turner's "Yorkshire Anthology" (1901) there's a ballad called "King John and the Barker of Braam" which is the same as the one above with a few variations. Instead of Drayton Basset the king is seeking directions to Spofforth Castle. Perhaps most interesting is that Plompton Park is very near Spofforth

Did the tune for this one show up?