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The Bonny Blue Handkerchief

[ Roud 378 / Song Subject MAS93 ; Master title: The Bonny Blue Handkerchief ; G/D 5:1040 ; Henry H161ab ; Ballad Index HHH161 ; Wiltshire 771 ; DT BLUHNKIE ; Mudcat 56630 , 94664 ; trad.]

Sabine Baring-Gould, Henry Fleetwood Sheppard: Songs of the West Katherine Campbell: Songs From North-East Scotland Nick Dow: Southern Songster Alan Helsdon: Vaughan Williams in Norfolk Volume 2 Gale Huntington, Lani Herrmann, John Moulden: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs

Jane Turriff sang The Bonnie Blue Hankie at a concert at Kinross Festival in September 1971. This recording was included in 1996 on her Springthyme CD Singin’ Is Ma Life. That album’s liner notes commented:

Sung by Jane Turriff on a concert at Kinross Festival, September 1971.

The Sam Henry collection has two versions of this lovely ‘broken token’ song (Henry p.456-7), neither of which is particularly close to Jane’s.

Harry Upton sang Bonny Blue Handkerchief at home in Balcombe, Sussex, in between 1975 and 1977. This recording was included in 1978 on his Topic album Why Can’t It Always Be Saturday? and in 2015 on his Musical Traditions anthology of the same name, Why Can’t It Always Be Saturday?. Mike Yates and Rod Stradling noted:

A once popular song, it was included in a chapbook, The Highland Songster, that was issued by John Pitts of Seven Dials, London, c.1819-1844, and reprinted by later London printers, including, Catnach, Disley, Hodges and Such. There were also sheets from R. Evans of Chester, W. Wright of Birmingham and Bebbington of Manchester. In 1979 Roy Palmer took Harry Upton’s tune and three verses and, adding some extra verses from a Fortey broadside, published the song in his book Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs. The broadside texts are all quite similar.

In folklore the colour blue often signifies loyalty and this is what is implied here. The song is also of interest because it shows a transitional stage in folksongs, one where a country maid (milkmaid or haymaker, for example) has been replaced by a girl who now works in one of the recently created industrial occupations, in this case a cotton spinner in a factory; although the format and sentiment of the song has not changed.

The Irish song collector Sam Henry collected a couple of versions, which can be found in his monumental Songs of the People (1990).

Bill House from Beaminster, Dorset, sang Bonny Blue Handkerchief in a November 1984 recording made by Nick and Mally Dow that was included in 1985 on the Old House Music cassette of traditional folk songs, Gin and Ale and Whisky.

Alice Parkinson from Blackpool, Lancashire, sang Bonny Blue Handkerchief in a March 1985 recording made by Nick and Mally Dow that was included in 1986 on the Old House Music cassette of traditional folk songs and speech from Lancashire’s Fylde Coast, Fleetwood Mashers.

Peter and Barbara Snape sang Bonny Blue Handkerchief in 2019 on their CD All in the Song. Barbara Snape noted:

This song is from the English Folk Music Collection of Nick and Mally Dow. They recorded Alice Parkinson singing it in Blackpool. It is a love song with a well-known story—the man leaves his true love and gives her, in this case, a blue handkerchief. On his return she is still wearing the handkerchief and has remained faithful to her promise to be true to him. They marry (with speed) and live happily ever after. We have included an extra verse in the song from a version found in the Axon Collection of broadsides in Cheetham’s Library, Manchester.

Folklincs sang Bonny Blue Handkerchief on their 2020 album Songs & Tunes From North Lincolnshire. They noted:

A song sung by Luke Stanley and recorded by Alan Lomax from the singing of Bill Stanley.
(Lead singer: Kay Ashberry)

Lyrics

Bonny Blue Handkerchief broadside

As I was a-walking one morning in May,
A bonny young lassie came tripping that way.
With cheeks red as roses, she cheerful did sing
With a bonny blue handkerchief tied under her chin.

“Where so fast?” said I, and caught her round the waist.
“I am going to my work, sir,” she said in great haste,
“To work in yon factory where cotton I spin,
With my bonny blue handkerchief tied under my chin.”

“Why wear you that handkerchief tied round your head?”
“It’s my country fashion, kind sir,” she said,
“And you know that the fashion I like to be in,
With my bonny blue handkerchief under my chin.”

“Why wear you the colour that grows in yon vale?”
“Because it’s true blue, sir; that never will fail.
Like the sailor’s blue jacket that fights for the Queen
Is my bonny blue handkerchief under my chin.”

When to kiss her sweet lips he was going to begin,
“O stop, sir,” said she, “while I tell you one thing:
He that kisses these lips must first show a gold ring
To this bonny blue handkerchief under my chin.”

With gold and with silver I tried all in vain.
She smiled in my face and with scornful disdain
Cried, “Your gold and your silver not one kiss shall win
From the bonny blue handkerchief under my chin.

“This bonny blue handkerchief my love he gave me
And told me that colour would never false be;
So to him I’ll prove true as the colour that’s in
This bonny blue handkerchief under my chin.”

When he found her so loyal, he could not forbear.
He flew to her arms and he called her his dear.
“My own dearest jewel, here is the gold ring,
To that bonny blue handkerchief tied under your chin.”

To church then they went and were married with speed.
Now this loving couple live happy indeed.
When their day’s work is over, how happy they sing
Of her bonny blue handkerchief under her chin.

Jane Turriff sings The Bonnie Blue Hankie

“O where are you going to my pretty fair young maid?
Where are you going to my pretty fair young maid?”
“I am goin a-milkin, kind sir,” she did say,
Wi her bonnie blue hankie ticked under her chin.

“Why do you wear that hankie, my pretty fair young maid?
Why do you wear that hankie, my pretty fair young maid?”
“It is just a country fashion, kind sir,” she did say,
Wi her bonnie blue hankie ticked under her chin.

“O show me the crooked sixpence before you begin;
Show me the crooked sixpence before you begin.”
And besides a crooked sixpence, he pulled out a ring,
An a bonnie blue hankie ticked under her chin.

“O will you marry me, my pretty fair young maid?
Will you marry me, my pretty fair young maid?”
“I will marry you kind mister, kind sir,” she did say,
An her bonnie blue hankie ticked under her chin.

Now we are marriet and we have settled down,
Now we are married and children we haw two
A boy the image o daddy an a girl the image o me,
Wi a bonnie blue hankie ticked under their chin.

Harry Upton sings Bonny Blue Handkerchief

As I was a-walking one morning in May
A beautiful young damsel came tripling my way
With her cheeks red as roses as beautiful she sung
With her bonny blue handkerchief tied under her chin

This bonny blue handkerchief my love gave to me
He promised me the colour would never false be
And to him I’ll prove true as the colour that’s in
With my bonny blue handkerchief tied under my chin

How so far are thou going? As I took her round the waist
I’m going to my work, sir, all in a great haste
For to work in yon factory where the cotton they spin
With my bonny blue handkerchief tied under my chin