> The Copper Family > Songs > Cupid’s Garden

Cupid’s Garden / The Lover’s Meeting

[ Roud 297 / Song Subject MAS557 ; Master title: Cupid’s Garden ; G/D 5:970 ; Ballad Index SWMS090 ; VWML FK/15/21/1 , HAM/3/15/23 ; Bodleian Roud 297 ; Wiltshire 765 ; Folkinfo 428 ; DT CUPIDGRD ; trad.]

William Chappell: Popular Music of the Olden Time Bob Copper: A Song for Every Season The Copper Family: The Copper Family Song Book William Henry Long: A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect Frank Kidson: A Garland of English Folk-Songs Frank Purslow: The Foggy Dew Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs John Stokoe: Songs and Ballads of Northern England

“Cuper’s Gardens were an 18th century tea garden (a smaller version of pleasure gardens) on the south side of the River Thames in Lambeth, London, looking over to Somerset House near where Waterloo Bridge is located (centred around what is now the north end of Waterloo Road).

“The gardens opened in the 1680s and were named after the original proprietor, Abraham Boydell Cuper, the gardener of the Earl of Arundel. They were also known as Cupid’s Gardens. A long landing stage in the river known as Cuper’s Bridge acted as a popular entrance for the gardens.

“In 1736, an orchestra was included among the attractions. It also became known for its firework displays. However, it lost its license in 1753 due to the loose morals of its visitors.” [Wikipedia]

This song from the repertoire of the Copper Family is printed in The Copper Family Song Book. Ron and Bob Copper sang Cupid’s Garden on 2 February 1955 in a recording made by Peter Kennedy (BBC 21543). They also sang it on their 1963 EFDSS LP Traditional Songs From Rottingdean; which was reissued in 2001 as part of the Topic CD Come Write Me Down: Early Recordings of the Copper Family of Rottingdean. Another generation, John and Lynne Copper, sang it in 1987 on the EFDSS LP Coppersongs: A Living Tradition. And Mark Barratt and Tom Copper from the most recent Copper Family generation sang it in 2008 on the Young Coppers’s CD Passing Out.

Annie Jean Kelly from Keady, Co. Armagh sang The Laurel Wear (Cupid’s Garden) in 1952 to Peter Kennedy and Sean O’Boyle. This recording was included in 2011 on her cousin Sarah Makem’s Musical Traditions anthology. As I Roved Out. Sarah Makem sang it to Sean O’Boyle and Paul Carter in 1967. This recording was included in 2012 on her Topic album The Heart Is True (The Voice of the People Volume 24). Rod Stradling noted on the MT anthology:

This song seems well-known today, probably due to the Copper Family version which became popular in the 1970s, but Roud has only 78 instances, mostly from England. There are only 21 named singers, and only one of these is from Ireland—Sarah’s cousin, Annie Jane Kelly. Sarah apparently got this from Paddy McGeown in Keady. Clearly the italicised verse (not sung here) is a local addition. The song was popular on broadsides, with most of the major 19th century printers including it in their lists. The earliest dated version so far to come to light is in the songster The Vocal Library published in 1818, but this is a long time after Cuper’s pleasure gardens were closed in 1753. They were founded by Abraham Cuper in 1678 and were situated just south of the River Thames, where the approach to Waterloo Bridge now stands. In their time, the gardens were a well-known pleasure resort for Londoners, and are also mentioned in other traditional songs.

Tony Engle and Peta Webb sang Cupid’s Garden in 1971 on Oak’s Topic album Welcome to Our Fair, and Derek, Dorothy and Nadine Elliott sang it in 1976 on their LP Yorkshire Relish. Both groups credit the Copper Family as their source.

Cyril Tawney sang Cupid’s Garden on his 1990 Neptune Tapes cassette of songs of seafarers and the fairer sex, Sailor’s Delight.

Gordon Hall sang Cupid’s Garden in a home recording made in the early 1990s that he included on his cassette anthology Warts & Hall.

Sally Dexter and Julie Murphy sang Cupid’s Garden in 1995 on The Mellstock Band’s Saydisc CD Songs of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. They noted:

Source: Tune – Hammond, D.370, from William Miller, Wotton Fitzpaine, April 1906 [VWML HAM/3/15/23] .
Words – A Song for Every Season, Bob Copper (Heinemann, 1971).
Another of Granfer Cantle’s songs in The Return of the Native, VI. iv. Sung by the milkmaids and later recollected by Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, chapters xl and xlix.

Jane and Amanda Threlfall sang Cupid’s Garden on their 2002 CD Gown of Green and on their 2007 CD Revisited. They noted:

From the singing of the Copper family of Peacehaven, Sussex. Sabine Baring-Gould mentions two different songs on this subject. The version sung here comes from William Chappell’s Popular Music of the Olden Time (1858-59), in which he states that “the three most popular songs amongst the servant maids at the present time are Seeds of Love, Early One Morning and Cupid’s Garden”. The title is thought to refer to Cuper’s Gardens, once a celebrated place of amusement on the south side of the Thames, eclipsed into closure in 1753 by the opening of the ‘new’ Vauxhall Gardens.

Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner sang Cupid’s Garden in 2004 on their WildGoose CD The Moon Shines Bright. They noted:

A joyful song from the much-loved Copper family from Rottingdean in Sussex.

Tim Radford sang Cupid’s Garden on his 2005 CD Home From Home. He noted:

The text here is as published by Frank Purslow in his book The Foggy Dew, collected from Mrs. King of Lyndhurst, Hampshire by Gardiner and then augmented with a Catnach broadside. However, I first heard the song from the seminal band “Oak” in the early 1970s, so I am sure my tune relates more closely to that. A version also exists in the Copper Family collection. Cupid’s Garden is believed to be a corruption of Cuper’s Garden, a 17th century Thames-side pleasure garden in London.

Mick Ryan and Pete Harris sang Cupid‘s Garden in 2006 on their WildGoose CD The Island of Apples. They noted:

Learned, like many another great traditional song, from the immortal Copper family of Rottingdean, Sussex.

Jon Boden sang Cupid’s Garden as the 14 February 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Bernie Cherry sang Cupid’s Garden on his 2013 Musical Traditions album With Powder, Shot and Gun. Rod Stradling noted:

This song seems well-known today, probably due to the Copper Family version which became popular in the 1970s, and Roud has 107 instances, though half of these refer to broadside publications. The other entries are mostly from England. There are only 28 named singers, the most well known of whom are Harry Cox, Sarah Makem, and various members of the Copper Family.

The song was popular on broadsides, with most of the major 19th century printers including it in their lists. The earliest dated version so far to come to light is in the songster The Vocal Library published in 1818, but this is a long time after Cuper’s pleasure gardens were closed in 1753. They were founded by Abraham Cuper in 1678 and were situated just south of the River Thames, where the approach to Waterloo Bridge now stands. In their time, the gardens were a well-known pleasure resort for Londoners, and are also mentioned in several other traditional songs.

There have been just a dozen sound recordings, of which only those by Sarah Makem (TSCD674), her cousin Annie Jane Kelly (MTCD353-5), and Bob and Ron Copper (TSCD534) are available on CD.

Bernie: The tune for this is from John Mason of Icomb near Stow-on-the-Wold, the words from the Copper family. I very much like simple love songs like this.

Andy Turner sang Cupid’s Garden as the 17 January 2015 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

Lyrics

The Copper Family sings Cupid’s Garden

’Twas down in Cupid’s Garden I wandered for to view
The sweet and lovely flowers that in the garden grew,
And one it was sweet jasmine, the lily, pink and rose;
They are the finest flowers that in the garden grow.

I had not been in the garden but scarcely half an hour,
When I beheld two maidens, sat under a shady bower,
And one it was sweet Nancy, so beautiful and fair,
The other was a virgin and did the laurels wear.

I boldly stepped up to them and unto them did say,
“Are you engaged to any young man, come tell to me, I pray?”
“No, I’m not engaged to any young man, I solemnly declare;
I mean to stay a virgin and still the laurels wear.”

So, hand in hand together, this loving couple went;
To view the secrets of her heart was the sailor’s full intent,
Or whether she would slight him while he to the wars did go.
Her answer was, “Not I, my love, for I love a sailor bold.”

It’s down in Portsmouth Harbour, there’s a ship lies waiting there;
Tomorrow to the seas I’ll go, let the wind blow high or fair.
And, if I should live to return again, how happy I should be
With you, my love, my own true love, sitting smiling on my knee.

Annie Jean Kelly sings The Laurel Wear (Cupid’s Garden)

For it’s down by Convent’s garden one day as I chanced to stray
I heard two fair maids aye discourse as they sat in the bower
For the one was lovely Nancy so beautiful and fair
And the other was that virgin bride that did the laurel wear.

For I hadn’t been in yon garden just past a half an hour
’Til I heard two fair maids aye discourse as they sat in the bower
For the one was lovely Nancy so beautiful and fair
And the other was that virgin bride that did the laurel wear.

For I walkèd up to this fair maid and this to her did say,
Saying, “If you marry anyone, come marry me I pray.”
“For I will marry you, young man, I solemnlye declare
But I shall be at my liberty and still the laurel wear.”

For with hand to hand we marched along and to the church we went,
Where there we both got married in love and sweet content,
Saying, “It’s now I’m blessed forever so happy will I be
For to see me own sweet charmer sitting smiling on my knee.”

Sure I travelled Ulster, Munster, and part of the county Down
Many’s the mile I’ve travelled round many a sea port town
I’ve travelled the Wicklow mountains and the Curragh of Kildare
It was there I met with my virgin bride that did the laurel wear.

Tim Radford sings Cupid’s Garden

’Twas down in Cupid’s Garden for pleasure I did go
To view the finest flowers that in the garden grow
The first it was the jas’amin, the lily pink and rose
These are the finest flowers 𝄆 that in the garden grow. 𝄇

I had not been in the garden but a quarter of an hour
Before I spied two damsels sitting in a leafy bower.
The one was lovely Nancy, so beautiful and fair,
The other was a virgin 𝄆 and did the laurel wear. 𝄇

I boldly stepped up to her to hear what she did say,
“Are you engage to any young man come tell to me I pray?”
“I am not engaged to any young man I solemnly declare,
For I mean to stay a virgin 𝄆 and still the laurel wear. 𝄇”

I said unto this pretty maid, “ I’d have you change your mind,
’Tis wrong that such a maid as you should banish all mankind.”
But lovely Nancy standing by these words to me did say,
“Come leave her to her folly 𝄆 and let us go away.” 𝄇

Then hand in hand together this loving couple went
All for to know this fair maids mind it was his sole intent
Whether he would slighted be when he to sea did go
But she answered him, “Oh no my love, 𝄆 I love my sailor bold.” 𝄇

When this fair maid had told to him the secrets of her mind
The jolly sailor jumped for joy to hear speak so kind,
Saying, “I am blest forever, how happy I shall be,
If I may have my own true love 𝄆 sit smiling on my knee.” 𝄇

It’s down in Plymouth Harbour our ship lies waiting there
And I must go to the sea my love whenever the wind blows fair
And if my love could go with me how happy I should be
If I could have my own true love 𝄆 sit smiling on my knee. 𝄇

So far you well dear Nancy since from you I must go
Where many stormy winds do rise and bitter blasts do blow
And when I do return again married to you I will be
I’ll make myself contented and 𝄆 and go no more to sea. 𝄇

Bernie Cherry sings Cupid’s Garden

‘Twas down in Cupid’s Garden I wandered for to view
The sweet and lovely flowers that in the garden green.
And one it was sweet jasmine, the lily, pink, and rose;
They are the finest flowers that in the garden grows.

I had not been in the garden but scarcely half an hour
When I beheld two fair pretty maids sat under a shady bower.
And one she was sweet Nancy, so beautiful and fair,
The other was a virgin and did the laurels wear.

I boldly stepped up to her and unto her did say,
“Are you engaged with any young man? Come tell to me I pray.”
“No, I’m not engaged with any young man I solemnly declare,
I mean to stay a virgin and still the laurels wear.”

So hand in hand together this loving couple went,
To view the secrets of her heart was the sailors full intent.
And whether she would slight him while he to the wars did go,
Her answer was “Not I, my love, for I love a sailor bold.”

“It’s down in Portsmouth harbour there’s a ship lies waiting there,
Tomorrow to the seas I’ll go, Let the wind blow high or fair.
And if ever I live to return again how happy I shall be
With you my love, my own true love, sat smiling on my knee.”