Betsy Renals, Charlotte Renals and Sophie Legg were born into one of the best-known West Country travelling families, the Orchards. They were 78, 77 and 60 years old respectively in 1978 when these recordings were made.

Their early life was spent travelling the lanes of North Cornwall hawking haberdashery from their horse-drawn wagon. Their songs were passed down through their family or learnt at way-side meetings with other travelling families around the camp fire, which could also be the occasion for a step dance often just to mouth music, called “tuning”.

This fine collection includes well known folk songs, sentimental and comic songs as well as some rarely recorded narrative ballads.

Recorded by Pete Coe in 1978;
Remastered for CD by Paul Marsh;
Notes by Pete Coe and Mike Yates;
Production and design by John Howson

Notes and lyrics transcription on the Veteran website

Musicians

Betsy Renals, Charlotte Renals, Sophie Legg: vocals

Tracks

1. [Betsy] Good for Nothing Man (Roud 5387) (1.27)
2. [Sophie] Down by the Old Riverside (Roud 564; Laws P18; G/D 6:1188) (3.09)
3. [Charlotte] Ball o’Yarn (Roud 1404) (1.52)
4. [Betsy] Game of All Fours (Roud 232) (1.54)
5. [Sophie] Young Billy Taylor (Roud 158; Laws N11; G/D 1:169; Henry H213, H757) (0.56)
6. [Charlotte] The Dark-Eyed Sailor (Roud 265; Laws N35; G/D 5:1037; Henry H232) (5.59)
7. [Sophie] Stepdance tuning 1 (0.56)
8. [Sophie] Thorneymoor Woods (Roud 222) (3.01)
9. [Charlotte] The Farmer and the Lady (Roud 141; Laws N20; G/D 1:166; Henry H524) (2.50)
10. [Charlotte] The Crabfish (Roud 149) (1.33)
11. [Charlotte] A Man from the North (Outlandish Knight) (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163) (4.52)
12. [Betsy] Just Beginning to Sprout (2.07)
13. [Charlotte] Sailor Cut Down in His Prime (Roud 2; Laws Q26; G/D 7:1404; Henry H680) (4.40)
14. [Betsy] Van Diemen’s Land (Roud 519; Laws L18; G/D 2:252) (2.00)
15. [Sophie] Jim the Carter Lad (Roud 1080; G/D 3:457; Henry H171) (1.44)
16. [Charlotte] The Beggar (Roud 118; Child 279; G/D 2:274) (1.42)
17. [Betsy] The Lonely Widow (Roud 1197) (1.50)
18. [Charlotte] The Bonny Bunch of Roses (Roud 664; Laws J5; G/D 1:155) (3.54)
19. [Sophie] Catch Me If You Can (Roud 1028) (2.47)
20. [Betsy] The Farmer from Leicester (Roud 2638; Laws L2) (1.55)
21. [Betsy] Stepdance tuning 2 (1.14)
22. [Betsy] The Old Miser (Roud 3913) (3.50)
23. [Charlotte] Down by the Shannon Side (Roud 1453) (5.50)
24. [Charlotte] Standard Bread (Roud 5385) (1.26)
25. [Sophie] More Trouble in Our Native Land (Roud 5386) (2.58)
26. [Charlotte] Lord Lovell (Roud 48; Child 75; G/D 6:1232) (2.24)
27. [Charlotte] Oh Where, Oh Where (Roud 5388) (2.49)
28. [Charlotte] Seventeen Come Sunday (Roud 277; Laws O17; G/D 4:791; Henry H152) (2.31)

Tracks 12-18 are previously unreleased

Vic Legg was born into one of the best known West Country travelling family, the Orchards, and many of his relatives sang. His two aunties Charlotte and Betsy Renals and his mother Sophie Legg can be heard on VT119 Catch Me If You Can. It was from them that he gained his early interest in singing.

Vic has gathered his songs from a variety of sources, but most on this recording have come from his family. As he says; “Some were learned on purpose, while others were by osmosis!” Songs have come to him throughout his life, such as the dockyard medley which comes from the days when he served his apprenticeship in the Devonport dockyards. Then there’s the anti-drink anthem he picked up somewhere along the line: The Hell-bound Train. There would have been some disappointed listeners if we hadn’t included that one!

Recorded and produced by John Howson in 1994

Notes on the Veteran website

Musicians

Vic Legg: vocals

Tracks

1. I’ve Come to Sing a Song (3.06)
2. Thorneymore Woods (Roud 222) (2.39)
3. Young Man Cut Down (Roud 2; Laws Q26; G/D 7:1404; Henry H680) (4.15)
4. Garners Gay (Roud 3; G/D 6:1180) (2.10)
5. If I Do, I Do (1.27)
6. The Beggarman (Roud 118; Child 279; G/D 2:274) (1.40)
7. Just Beginning to Sprout (2.18)
8. The Banks of the Sweet Dundee (Roud 148; Laws M25; G/D 2:224) (3.57)
9. She Crab / Lonely Widow (4.47)
10. Barbara Allen (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236) (3.55)
11. The Molecatcher (Roud 1052) (2.30)
12. Banks of the Sweet Primroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841) (2.59)
13. Dockyard Medley (6.46)
    (a) Dockyard Children
    (b) Rushing Thro’ the Dockyard
    (c) Two Newly-weds
    (d) Barely 23
    (e) Little Bit of Wastage
14. Outlandish Knight (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163) (3.09)
15. The Hell-Bound Train (Roud 5103) ( 3.35)
16. Me and My Wife (3.04)

The Orchards are oe of the best known Gypsy families in the West Country and through marriage they are related to other local families including the Birches, the Crockers, the Roberts and the Sanders.

Tom, Jean and Ashley play,sing, and stepdance in a style which is true to their Gypsy roots. While their repertoire has been gathered over the years from many sources, much has also been handed down through their family networks.

Theirs is a robust and important tradition which they are now keen to share with a wider audience and in their hands long may it continue!

Recorded, produced and designed by John Howson;
Front cover photo by John Howson

Notes and lyrics transcription on the Veteran website

Musicians

Tom Orchard: melodeon [1, 5-8, 10-11, 14, 16], stepdance [3, 9, 15];
Ashley Orchard: melodeon [1, 3-4, 8-9, 12, 14-16];
Jean Orchard: vocals [2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16], penny whistle [1, 8, 14]

Tracks

1. Holsworthy Fair (2.31)
2. Over Yonder’s Hill (Roud 60; Laws P25; G/D 6:1170; Henry H683) (2.55)
3. Dorsetshire Hornpipe stepdance (0.51)
4. Bonny Dundee / The Rock and the Wee Pickle Tow (2.35)
5. Do You Remember (Ballyhoe) (2.09)
6. Uncle Jim’s (1.24)
7. Sixteen Come Sunday (Roud 277; Laws O17; G/D 4:791; Henry H152) (4.17)
8. Gypsy Waltz (3.35)
9. Smash the Windows stepdance (1.21)
10. I’ll Never Stop Wanting You (2.04)
11. Ladies’ Stepdance /Pigeon on the Gate (1.35)
12. Mexican Tune (2.11)
13. Dark Eyed Gypsy (Roud 1; Child 200; G/D 2:278; Henry H124) (4.21)
14. Sean South by Garryowen / Maggy May / Irish Rover (3.09)
15. Nelson’s Tune stepdance (1.17)
16. A Wager, a Wager (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135) (2.59)

Vivienne Legg continues one of the West country’s strongest family singing traditions. Hers is a Romany family who hawked haberdashery around the lanes of north Cornwall. Her aunts, Charlotte and Betsy Renals had a large repertoire of traditional and music hall songs as does her mother Sophie Legg (see VT119CD). In recent years whilst living with Viv, Sophie has encouraged Viv to follow in her brother Vic’s footsteps (see VT129CD) and keep their family singing tradition alive. These recordings show, yet again, what a vibrant tradition that is.

Recorded by John Adams;
Production and design by John Howson;
Song notes by Mike Yates;
Cover colour photo of Viv Legg: Clemens Photography, Bodmin

Notes and lyrics transcription on the Veteran website

Musicians

Vic Legg: vocals

Tracks

1. Introduction by Sophie Legg (0.31)
2. One Morning in May (Roud 140; Laws P14; TYG 34) (1.50)
3. The Prisoner Lad (Roud 19679) (2.43)
4. Erin’s Lovelie Home (Roud 1427; Laws M6; G/D 6:1098; Henry H46) (2.31)
5. On Yonder Hill (Roud 60; Laws P25; G/D 6:1170; Henry H683) (2.52)
6. The Poppies in the Corn (Roud 19673) (1.27)
7. Quaint Little Cottage (Roud 19676) (4.07)
8. Rich Merchant’s Daughter (Roud 552; Laws N10; G/D 1:177) (3.48)
9. The Prisoner (Roud 4475) (3.03)
10. Banks of the Clyde (Roud 1784) (4.03)
11. Sweet William (Roud 273; Laws K12; G/D 6:1245) (2.59)
12. Wanderer’s Warning (Roud 16143) (2.55)
13. The Broomfield Wager (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135) (4.33)
14. The Irishman’s Shamrock (Roud 3769) (2.43)
15. Mary Ann Matilda (Roud 19674) (2.00)
16. Downhearted Soldier (Roud 1783) (2.41)
17. Young Sailor Cut Down (Roud 2; Laws Q26; G/D 7:1404; Henry H680) (3.17)
18. Way of the World (Roud 19675) (4.06)
19. Saucy Sailor (Roud 531; Laws K38; G/D 1:49) (1.38)

Recorded and produced by Chris Brown, Liphook, Hampshire, March 2017;
Notes by Thomas McCarthy, Viv Legg and Chris Brown;
Photos by Helen Brown

Musicians

Vic Legg: vocals [3-4, 8-10, 13-14, 16];
Thomas McCarthy: vocals [1-2, 5-7, 11-12, 15]

Tracks

1. [TMcC] Ask Me Again (1.54)
2. [TMcC] My Emmet’s No More (3.08)
3. [VL] Down by the Shannon Side (Roud 1453) (6.14)
4. [VL] The Good-For-Nothing Man (Roud 5387) (1.43)
5. [TMcC] In the Golden Vale of Limerick (Roud 3002) (3.33)
6. [TMcC] The Widow’s Only Son (Roud V5420) (3.42)
7. [TMcC] Mikey O’Leary Courted a Fairy (3.07)
8. [VL] Down by the Old Riverside (Roud 564; Laws P18; G/D 6:1188) (4.12)
9. [VL] The Prisoner Lad (Roud 19679) (3.08)
10. [VL] The Young Rackly (3.08)
11. [TMcC] The Glens of Aherlow (Roud 983; Laws J11) (5.25)
12. [TMcC] The Dolting Old Man (3.41)
13. [VL] The Dark-Eyed Sailor (Roud 265; Laws N35; G/D 5:1037; Henry H232) (6.43)
14. [VL] Catch Me If You Can (Roud 1028) (3.02)
15. [TMcC] The Exile of Erin (Roud 4355) (5.28)
16. [VL] Romany Rose (5.27)