Author Topic: Add: Widdecombe Fair


Jon Freeman

Posted - 13 Aug 02 - 06:07 pm

Just trying a "lyric add" to see what people think...

Widdicombe Fair

"Tom Pearce. Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare,
All along, down along, out along lee,
For I want for to go to Widdecombe Fair,
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon,
Harry Hawk, old uncle Tom Cobbley and all,"
CHORUS: Old Uncle Tom Cobbley and all.

"And when shall I see again my grey mare?"
All along, &c.
"By Friday soon, or Saturday noon,"
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

Then Friday came, and Saturday noon,
All along, &c.
But Tom Pearce's old mare hath not trotted home
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

So Tom Pearce he got up to the top o' the hill
All along, &c.
And he seed his old mare down a making her will
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

So Tom Pearce's old mare, her took sick and died.
All along, &c.
And Tom he sat down on a stone, and he cried
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

But this isn't the end o'this shocking affair,
All along, &c.
Nor, though they be dead of the horrid career
Of Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

When the wind whistles cold on the moor of a night
All along, &c.
Tom Pearce's old mare doth appear ghastly white,
Wi' Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

And all the long night be heard skirling and groans,
All along, &c.
From Tom Pearce's old mare in her rattling bones
And from Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, &c.

Source: Songs Of The West, S Baring Gould

Notes:According to Songs Of The West, "The original "Uncle Tom Cobley" lived in a house near Yeoford Junction, in the parish of Spreyton". It appears he died in 1794.

ABC: To follow.




Malcolm Douglas
Posted - 14 Aug 02 - 04:46 am

Roud Folk Song Index no.137. Also found as Bedford Fair, Illsdown Fair, Landsdowne Fair, Midsummer Fair, Old Country Fair, Stow Fair, and so on; chiefly in England and Canada.


dmcg

Posted - 23 Aug 02 - 08:03 pm

A version of this called "Lansdowne Fair" was collected by Ken Stubbs from George (Pop) Maynard, Copthorne, Sussex in 1959. The lyrics and melody are very similar but the chorus uses different names "with Bill Brewer, Jack Stewer, Harry Hawkins, Bill Josie, Harry Hobbs, Tom Brown, Joe Chapman, Ben Backwell and your Uncle Tom Cockerel and all, And your Uncle Tom Cockerel and all".

As Ken Stubbs points out "It was the practice to make songs local by introducing names of people and places in the neighbourhood. On ballad sheets a dash was often printed to show where the local name should be inserted."

This version is printed by EDFS Publications "The Life of a Man"




Jon Freeman

Posted - 27 Aug 02 - 02:12 pm

Updated with the following abc - Jon.


X:1
T:Widdecombe Fair
Q:1/4=80
I:Songs Of The West, S Baring Sould
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
z4zD|G2G B2A|F3/2E/2D G3|G3/2G/2G B3/2A/2G|F3/2F/2G A2D/2D/2|G3/2G/2G BAG|F3/2E/2D E2D/2D/2|E2D E2D|E2D E2D|E2D E2D|D3/2c/2B A3/2G/2F|d4-dc|B3/2c/2B A3/2G/2F|G6
w:Tom Pearce Tom Pearce lend me your grey mare all a-long down a-long out a-long lee. For I want for to g-o to Wid-de-combe Fair Wi Bill Brewer Jan Stewer Peter Gurney Peter Davey Dan'l Whiddon Harry Hawk Old Un-cle Tom Cob-ley and all._ Old Un-cle Tom Cob-bley and all.







danni890

(guest)
Posted - 11 Jun 11 - 08:24 pm

is: and friday came and saturday soon


Gary

(guest)
Posted - 14 Mar 12 - 01:07 pm

I'm aged 57 and we just had a customer called Mr Cobley so I said I wonder if he had an Uncle Tom.  My work colleagues aged 29 and 34 gave me a blank look and more so when I sang the song.   The 29 year old said 'I wonder if this will happen to him when he gets older and someone mentions 'Vienna' and he says 'This means nothing to me' Laughing   




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