Lyr/Tune Add: Jan Knuckey

Subject: Lyr Add: JAN KNUCKEY AND GRAACEY (Cornish dialect)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Nov 07 - 04:12 PM

Found with Google Book Search in "Specimens of Cornish Provincial Dialect by William Sandys, 1846:

JAN KNUCKEY AND GRAACEY.

Jan Knuckey were a miner bould
As ever was to Bâl,
And cruel good cu'd wrastle too
And thraw a tidy fall.

When prink'd too en es Soonda' cloase
He braave and proper seem'd,
At Church too the base viol scraaped
Until the great crowd scream'd.

Now, up along to Church-town lived
A fine and thoomping daame
She were pure stout, as were her poorse,
Aunt Graacey were her naame.

Now Graacey had for many years
A little shop like keep'd
Where things for ould and childer too
Promiskusly was keep'd.

Tea, doat figs, and poldavy too
Cloam buzzas on the planching,
Scaal'd cream, and crocks, and coajer's end,
And apples ripe for scranching.

'Baccy, with cowals for the chowters,
Saalt pilchers, and some 'taties,
Eggs, clidgy, traade, and hoganbags,
Gowks, sparables, and lattice.

Aunt Graacey had some mabjers too,
A pig's-crow and a midden,
And sometimes sould a fine fat fowl,
Sometimes the piggy-whidden.

Some cobshans she'd a saaved away;
Jan hadn't a got none;
Yet, thof she were a titch too ould,
He thoft they might be one.

But Graacey were a keen chap too,
She were no drumbledrane;
And weth her fangings or herself,
To part she dedn't a meane.

Well Jan, he fetch'd es coorse one day
To tell es mind to Graace,
But when he got un ento doors
She were not en the plaace.

A kicklish fuss he heerd up stairs,
And soon 'caase why he knew,
The seeling being deef was scat
And Graace fell half way through.

What am I best to do?" says Jan,
"She es no pedn-paly;
She caan't scrouge through, she'll sure be squabb'd,
She do make bad qoose raally."

At last she squeedg'd and pooted through,
Flopt on the taable there,
And over-thraw'd as she fall'd down
A hepping-stock and cheer.

The cream were scud, the pilchers squash'd,
Some 'taties were mash'd quite,
Jan 'gen the winder joomp'd back mazed
And crazed a squeer outright.

At length she sot herself to rights
And made the plaace look fitty,
'Twere plase sure en a cruel shaape,
Et raally were a pity.

Then Knuckey rubb'd es hat all round,
And squinnied on the flure,
Next thraw'd es eyes about the shop,
And then agen the doore.

"Arrear! Aunt Graace, how ar'ee then?
I wish thee bean't abruis'd,
Thee down along ded'st come to shop
By roaad that esn't used.

Tes boostering work, to make good coose,
Weth shanks on nothing dancing
I thoft the punnion-end were in,
When thee pooted through the planching."

"Now, hould tha tongue, thee lutter-pouch,
I'm quite bedoled and frighted;
I knock'd ma cheens ageri the scoanse,"
Says Grace, "when I alighted."

Says Jan, "It were an awkward cant,
But don't be creening pray;
And lev us quat while thee dost hear
What I've a got to say :

"That there is this, I do'ee love,
When shall us be axed out?
Lev you and I keep company—"
Graace giv'd un then a clout.

"Thee mazedish moile! thee dreuling dog
Thee quilkin! thee timdoodle!
I be axed out! keep company!
Get thee to doors, thee noodle.

"Thee lobbar, thee art totling 'fath,
Sich imperance I ne'er seed;
What, give my cobshans up to thee!
Be Mistress Jan endeed!"

"Auh! skid the wheel," than Jan ded cry,
"And dont'ee drive so forthy,
Lev's screedle o'er the fire a bit,
I knaw thee'st find me worthy.

"Now lev us have no fussing more
And doant'ee tak't amiss
Ef that I ax before we parts
A little crum of kiss."

But Graacey's bristles now was up,
She scat and poot by turns,
Then cotch'd un by the scuff of's neck
And footched un through the durnes.

The coose of love et hav been said
Do seldom suant run,
Ef en soome caases et may be
Jan Knuckey's wasn't one.

Subject: RE: ADD Lyrics and Tune Jan Knuckey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 98 - 04:01 AM

Baz, you put your name in angle brackets, so it looked like this
<BAZ>
That reads like HTML - an invisible command. Hence, the invisible handriting on your signature. If you really want to display an angle bracket, you have to type four characters.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ADD Lyrics and Tune Jan Knuckey
From:
Date: 19 Sep 98 - 08:05 PM

Can anyone tell me about the book Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs by Ralph Dunstan ie when published etc and also about Jan Knuckey - when was this song written as I am researching my family tree and both Dunstans and Knuckeys of Cornwall in the 1800s are my starting point. Thanks for any help with this. Louise Ely

Subject: RE: ADD Lyrics and Tune Jan Knuckey
From: BAZ
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 06:27 PM

I got a time up message while sending the above song and it seems to have loaded twice without a signature at the end.
Regards Baz

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: JAN KNUCKEY
From:
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 06:20 PM

Jan knuckey was a miner bold
As ever was to bal
An cruel good cu'd wrastle too
And Throw a tidy fall

Chorus
Johnny willl you come along now
Johnny will you waait for a while O
Come along a John wi' your big booats on
Johny will you waait for a while

When prinked up in 'es Sunday Cloaze
Oall brave an' proper booys
In church 'e ded the Baaz-vile scraape
An made a purty nooise

Now up along to Church-Town liv'd
A fine and thumpin' daame
She was pure stout so was 'er purse
Aaunt Graacey was 'er naame.

Aaunt Graacey 'ad for many 'eas
A little shop like keep'd
Where goods for ould an' cheldurn too
Wur oall together 'eap'd

Well Jan e fetched 'es coose wun day
To tell 'es mind to Graace
But when 'e got inside the dooar
'E deddn 'av the faace

At laast sez 'e I do 'e luv
When shall us be axed out
Lev me an' you keep company
The answer was a clout!

Aw lev us 'av no fuss sez Jan
An doan't ee taak't amiss
Ef that I ax before we part
A little crum or kiss

But Graacey's dander now was up
She screeched and jaw'd by turns
An then she took un by the scruff
An fooch'd un thro' the durns!

Durns = Door posts.

From a book called Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs by Ralph Dunstan
It is listed as a reading or recitation with sung chorus, but I've only heard it sung right through verses and chorus by Brenda Wootton and by Sue White.

MIDI file: JANG.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: G
TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Name: JAN KNUCKEY
Text: transposed from AMaj
Start
0000 1 67 127 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 71 127 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 62 090 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0719 0 67 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 127 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0119 0 67 000 0001 1 69 127 0719 0 69 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 127 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0119 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 62 090 0119 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0119 0 62 000 0001 1 64 127 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 62 090 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 64 127 0119 0 64 000 0001 1 64 090 0119 0 64 000 0001 1 64 090 0119 0 64 000 0001 1 64 090 0119 0 64 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 62 090 0119 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0119 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0719 0 67 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:JAN KNUCKEY
M:2/4
Q:1/4=160
K:G
G2BBBBGG|D2G6|B2BBBBA2|GGA6|B2BBB2G2|DDE2E2D2|
D2EEEEF2|DDG6||

Regards
BAZ