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The (Poor Old) Weaver's Daughter

[ Roud 1277 ; Master title: The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter ; TYG 48 ; Ballad Index RcWeaDau ; Bodleian Roud 1277 ; GlosTrad Roud 1277 ; Wiltshire 237 ; Mudcat 62296 , 139692 ; trad.]

George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang The Weaver's Daughter on 3 December 1955 in his home in Copthorne, Sussex, in a recording made by Peter Kennedy. This was included in 1976 on Maynard's Topic LP of traditional songs from Sussex, Ye Subjects of England, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough (The Voice of the People Volume 5). Another version recorded by Brian Matthews on 18 May 1960 at The Cherry Tree in Copthorne was included in 2000 on Maynard's Musical Traditions anthology Down the Cherry Tree. Mike Yates commented in the original album's notes:

Several of Pop's other songs belonged to the “rustic-idyll” class, and suggest an urban, rather than rural origin. The Weaver's Daughter was described as “once popular” by Alfred Williams who noted it once in the Thames Valley some time prior to the Great War. Other collectors seem to have ignored the piece.

Frank Hinchliffe sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 1977 on his Topic LP of traditional songs from South Yorkshire, In Sheffield Park. The sleeve notes commented:

Most of the early collectors appear to have either overlooked or ignored this song. It was printed on broadsides by Pearson of Manchester, Fordyce of Newcastle and Harkness of Preston and is listed in the Catnach 1832 catalogue. Alfred Williams published a version in Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames. Its theme is an unusual one. Rarely does it happen in folksong that a young girl refuses a young man for the sake of her old father. George Maynard of Copthorne also knew the song.

The Muckram Wakes sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 1980 on their LP Warbles, Jangles and Reeds.

Will Noble sang Poor Weaver's Daughter in a recording made by John Howson at Oxspring, Yorkshire in 1992. It was released in the same year on his Veteran album In That Beautiful Dale, and was included in 2006 on the Veteran anthology It Was on a Market Day—Two where Mike Yates noted:

There can be few English folksongs where a young girl refuses to marry a suitor for the sake of her old father. Alfred Williams, who heard it being sung in the Thames Valley in the early 1900s, called it a “pleasant old song”. The song predates 1832 (when it was listed in James Catnach's catalogue of song sheets) and was also printed on sheets by Pitts of London, Williams of Portsea, Harkness of Preston, Wigens of Bath and Taylor of Bristol. The song has been collected only occasionally in England and, to my knowledge, has never turned up elsewhere. Will learnt it from Frank Hinchliffe of Lodgemoor, near Sheffield.

Peter and Barbara Snape sang Poor Old Weaver's Daughter on their 2011 CD Revel & Rally. Barbara Snape noted:

From the singing of Pop Maynard, a wonderful singer born in the village of Smithfield, Surrey in 1872. Pop Maynard was a singer all his life and a real character who died in 1962 aged 90. We have altered the rhythm of the song to that of waltz time.

Jon Boden sang The Weaver's Daughter as the 10 March 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He noted in the blog:

After setting this lyric from Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames I then heard Will Noble sing a Yorkshire version with a not entirely dissimilar tune. Fay [Hield] has now taken this on and improved my melody somewhat.

Fay Hield sang The Weaver's Daughter in 2012 on her CD with the Hurricane Party, Orfeo. She commented in her sleeve notes:

Jon happened upon this song in Alfred Williams' Folk-Songs of the Upper Thames (1923) and put a tune to it. Williams cites it as “a pleasant old song, formerly popular in the villages between Cricklade and Cirencester. Obtained of Joseph Bartlett, Down Ampney.” When Jon proudly sang me his newly discovered gem, I rather offhandedly said, oh, Will Noble sings that. It turns out so do a number of other Yorkshire singers, including Roger Hinchliffe, nephew of Frank who recorded a version on his In Sheffield Park LP (1977). Peter Kennedy also recorded George ‘Pop’ Maynard singing it in 1955, subsequently released on Topic's Voice of the People set. I took these several strands and mashed them around a bit. A lovely romantic song, this is rare for its theme of a young girl refusing a young man for the sake of her old father. Or maybe she just didn't fancy him.

This video shows Fay Hield singing The Weaver's Daughter at Bristol Folk Festival on the May Day holiday weekend of 2011:

Andy Turner sang this song as The Woodman's Daughter as the 5 May 2013 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week. Cecil Sharp collected this version at Warehorne in Kent on 23 September 1908, from James Beale.

Peter and Barbara Snape sang The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter in 2016 on their CD Upward Onward. Barbara Snape noted:

A few years ago we learnt a lovely version of this song from the singing of George ‘Pop’ Maynard, a traditional singer from Sussex (and champion marble player). Recently we found a Yorkshire version, printed as a broadside and published by Harkness of Preston as well as many other printers throughout England. That fine gentleman and singer Will Noble also sings a version which he got from Frank Hinchliffe of Fulwood, Sheffield, and is very similar to this one.

Matt Quinn learned The Poor Weaver's Daughter from the singing of Pop Maynard and recorded it for his 2017 CD The Brighton Line. He noted:

A song most commonly found in Yorkshire, Peter Kennedy collected this in 1955 when Pop Maynard was 83 years old. It's a refreshing change to find a female character in a song who doesn't just say “oh, all right then” when a man tries to seduce her.

Lyrics

Pop Maynard sings The Weaver's Daughter

As I walked out one May morning,
One May morning quite early,
A lovely lass came tripping by
As light as any fairy.

I said, “Fair maid, if you'll be mine,”—
And by the hand I caught her—
“I will make you a rich lady gay.”
“Kind sir,” said she, “I thank you.”

“My poor old mother that's dead and gone
This lesson she has taught me:
To marry for love but not for gold,”
Cried the poor old weaver's daughter.

“My poor old father that's nearly blind
And quite grown past his labour,
'Twould break his heart from me to part,”
Cried the poor old weaver's daughter.

“So part from me she'll never, never be —
He's a kind and tender father—
Till in his peaceful grave he lies.”
Cried the poor old weaver's daughter.

Muckram Wakes sing The Poor Old Weaver's Daughter

Oh, as I walked out one May morning
Across the fields so early,
I espied a maid, a most beautiful maid
As bright as any fairy.

I said, “My pretty maid, where art thou going?”
And by the hand I took her.
Oh she blushed and she said, “I'm going home,
I'm a poor old weaver's daughter.”

“Oh, may I go with you my pretty maid?
For gold and silver I've plenty.”
She turned her head and she blushed and she said,
“Oh no, kind sir, I thank you.”

“My mother she is dead and in her grave,
And the early lesson she taught me
Was to marry for love and not for gold,”
Cried that poor old weaver's daughter.

“My father he is old and almost blind
And he is nearly past his labours.
It would break his heart from me to part
For he's been such a good, kind father.”

“So parted from him I never shall be
For he's been such a good, kind father.
And until he's laid in his peaceful grave
I'm a poor old weaver's daughter.”

“Fare thee well, fare thee well sweet maid,” I cried,
“May prospects ever be brighter.
And the lad thou loves be constant and true
And happily be united.”

For friendship's sake this gold ring take.”
Such a lovely maid I thought her,
And as long as I live I never shall forget
That poor old weaver's daughter.

Fay Hield sings The Weaver's Daughter

As I walked out one morning fair
To view the fields so early
A pretty lass came tripping by
As light as any fairy.

I said, “Fair maid, what brings you here?”
And by the hand I caught her.
I asked her name, she blushed for shame,
“I'm the poor old weaver's daughter,
The poor old weaver's daughter.”

Her hair was black, her eyes were blue,
Her age was almost twenty;
I said, “Fair maid, if you'll be mine,
I've gold and riches plenty.”

“My mother she's not long been dead,
And the lesson that she taught me
Was to marry for love and not for gold,”
Cried the poor old weaver's daughter,
The poor old weaver's daughter.”

“My father he is almost blind
And long gone past his labour.
It'd break his heart from me to part,”
Cried the poor old weaver's daughter,
The poor old weaver's daughter.”

I turned around to go my way
And bade farewell forever,
I wish this maiden all the joy
And love long life can bring her.

I'll ne'er forget the day we met
By fields of shining water.
But wherever she's gone my heart belongs
To the poor old weaver's daughter,
The poor old weaver's daughter,
The poor old weaver's daughter.