Author Topic: Add: The Lincolnshire Poacher


Ed

Posted - 23 Nov 02 - 08:43 am

Lincolnshire Poacher, The

When I was bound apprentice in famous Lincolnshire
Full well I served my master for more than seven year
Till I took up with poaching, as you will quickly hear
Oh! 'tis my delight on a shiny night, in the season of the year

As me and my comrades were setting of a snare
'Twas then we seed the gamekeeper - for him we did not care
Far we can wrestle and fight, my boys and jump o'er anywhere
Oh! 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year

As me and my companions were setting four or five
And taking up on him again, we caught the hare alive
We caught the hare alive, my boys, and through the woods did steer
Oh! 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year

I threw him on my shoulder and then we trudged home
We took him to a neighbour's house, and sold him for a crown
We sold him for a crown, my boys, but I did not tell you where
Oh! 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year

Bad luck to every magistrate that lives in Lincolnshire
Success to every poacher that wants to sell a hare
Bad luck to every gamekeeper that will not sell his deer
Oh! 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year

Source: Palmer, R (1979) Everyman's Book of English Country Songs London, Dent and Sons


Notes:

Sung by Joe Saunders, traveller, at Biggin Hill, Kent; collected by Stephen Sedley, 1967. The singer has only a few lines of text, and the remainder has been supplied from R. Bell, Ballads and Songs, 1857, pp. 216-7, with verse 4 added from Chappell, p. 732.

Palmer notes:
Instead of 'Bad luck to every magistrate' in the last verse, some versions have 'Success to every gentleman'. No doubt the prudent singer would have suited his words to his audience. George IV had a particular liking for the song, and slighting references to his Justices of the Peace would hardly have been well received at Windsor.

George IV enjoyed the tune which is still well known, thanks to the National Song Book, but the melody much earlier associated with the song was 'The Manchester Angel'. This continued in oral circulation, and a recently collected version is given here.

The singer, a traveller called Joe Saunders, remarked: 'I'll sing you one they larns 'em in the schools - only they don't larn it 'em right.'

Although other counties - Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and even Somersetshire - are sometimes introduced, it seems that Lincolnshire was originally intended, at least from the evidence of the earliest printed version, which appeared in 1776.

Database entry is here

Ed




John from Hull

Posted - 27 Nov 02 - 03:20 am

This is one of my favourite songs and ius sung by Jim Eldon, a local folksinger in the Tap & Spile session, in Hull.

John


John


Pip Freeman

Posted - 21 Jan 04 - 11:15 am

Poaching Song.
When I was bound apprentice
In famous Somersetshire
I served my master truly
For nearly seven year,
Till I took up to poaching
As you shall quickly hear
For 'twas my delight of a shiny night
In the season of the year.

As me and my companions
Were setting of a snare
The gamekeeper was watching us
But for him we did not care
For we can wrestle fight, my boys,
Jump over anywhere.
For it's my delight of a shiny night
In the season of the year.

As me and my companions
Were setting for a five
In taking of them up again
We caught a hare alive
We popped her in the bag, my boys
And through the woods did steer
For it's my delight of a shiny night
In the season of the year.

We threw her across our shoulders
And wandered through the town,
And called into a neighbour's house
And sold her for a crown,
We sold her for a crown, my boys,
But dared not tell you where,
For it's my delight on a shiny night
In the season of the year.

So here's success to poachers
For I do not think it fair,
Bad luck to every gamekeeper
That will not sell his deer,
Good luck to every landlady
That wants to buy a hare.
For it's my delight on a shiny night
In the season of the year.




Source: Still Growing. English Traditional Songs from the Cecil Sharp Collection.

Notes:
Cecil Sharp collected this song from Elizabeth Smitherd of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire in April 1908. Her father was a carpenter and a squire's son. She was one of thirteen sisters and learned all her songs from them and from her parents.

Manuscript refs.
FT 1571-1577, 1626-1631, 1640-1645.
FW 1417-1421, 1470-1487, 1492-1499.

Added to database here.



John from Hull

Posted - 21 Jan 04 - 03:56 pm

I think Jim has recorded this song, he has made a few CD's and plays flute etc on some of the early Waterson Carthy recordings.
I'll try to find out if its on a Cd, and if so whci one.

John


John


masato sakurai

Posted - 21 Jan 04 - 11:58 pm

From The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music:

Title: The Poachers.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Composed by G.A. Hodson.
Publication: Philadelphia: G.E. Blake, No.13 south 5th Street, n.d..
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice
First Line: When I was bound apprentice in fair Lincolnshire, Full well I serv'd my master for more than seven year
First Line of Chorus: O 'tis my delight on a shining night in the season of the year
Performer: Sung by Mr. Andrews

From Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

my delight in a shiny night [title]

my delight on a shiny night [title]

poacher [title]

poachers [title]

poachers or its my delight &c [title]


Edited By masato sakurai - 22-Jan-2004 00:07:44 AM






Mr Happy

Posted - 23 Jan 04 - 03:05 pm

And again another version:

SONG OF THE BOGLE CLENCHER
[Ramblin' Sid Rumpo/Kenneth Williams]
(Words by Barry Took & Marty Feldman)

Now I should like to burst forth ... with a traditional Lincolnshire air. 'Tis the song of the Bogle Clencher, and goes after this fashion:

When I was a clencher's bogleman in famous Lincoln town
I often clenched my bogling fork for less than half-a-crown
And I would joggle and nurk, my boys,
As I shall quickly tell
Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night,
On a foggy night as well.

Oh, once I took my moulies and set them in a snare
'Twas there I spied a scroper's man a whirdling a hare
But I was not afeared, my boys, of that there is no doubt.
Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night
When the coppers aren't about

Although I'm over 80 now, my boggles still I clench
And I will flutter my artefacts at any passing wench
I've tickled many a screebling nut as on my way I go
Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night
At one-and-nine a throw.

Tune: Lincolnshire Poacher





Jon Freeman

Posted - 23 Jan 04 - 03:21 pm

Mr Happy, "my boggles still I clench..." my mind boggles over where you find your songs!

Jon




Pip Freeman

Posted - 23 Jan 04 - 06:48 pm

Lovely one Mr Happy, I'm sure I heard that one a long time ago. Wasn't 'Rambling Sid Rumpo' a character on 'Round the Horn'? Interesting that the words were by Barry Took and Marty Feldman.


Mr Happy

Posted - 29 Jan 04 - 02:23 am

Jon,

"my boggles still I clench..." my mind boggles over where you find your songs!

Have a peek here:
http://www.monologues.co.uk/index2.htm





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